June is almost over and, as I look back over the first half of the year, I feel a surreal sensation of time swirling down the drain like a fast emptying bath tub. Is it just me? Or is it the human condition? Time flies, not just when you’re having fun…

Spring was lovely but cut short by my earlier-and-longer-than-usual trip to Arizona (see blogpost There is Litter in (Almost) Paradise) which shot me into hot sunny summer. I loved my daily walks through lovely neighbourhoods, grassy tree-lined streets and curvaceous greenbelts, even an artificial lake with ducks, cranes and birds.

Now that summer is officially here, the weather has complied by being hot, hazy and humid – though it should break a bit by the weekend. I find myself dreading the traditional mid-summer heat waves (maybe it will be a cooler summer?). I can defend myself against the sun with SPF 50, but I am helpless against the hot, heavy, humid air that often saturates my city and weighs me down.

Last year it started early. Sirius was a restless sleeper; the Dog Star did not wait for July 24th to awaken and stir before lazing about languidly. And it’s not just me. Hot humid weather does crazy things to people. In the prologue of “Tuck Everlasting” (which is set in the first week of August) it says, “These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.”

Maybe 2103 won’t be as bad. Of course, I do like having the hot humid weather as an excuse to do nothing but stay indoors where it’s cool. Oh well, we’ll see…

Meanwhile, I’m still enjoying my evening ritual: at the end of a busy or boring day, I relax on my balcony with a glass of wine, a leisurely supper and a good book. Between sips, bites and reads, I drink deep draughts of lush green river valley views.

I’m enjoying my walks along the meandering riverside trails. Clusters of leafy woods offer rustling breeze and cooling shade. Glimpses of the water where ducks and seagulls frolic are momentary enchantments. I pause for a moment to breathe in the sweet warm fragrance of summer flowers, smile and nod at passing dog walkers, cyclists and fellow pedestrians. An hour later, drenched in perspiration, I return to the coolness of home, my soul refreshed.

The dog days will be followed by less humid ones. Summer will fade into the richly-hued briskness of autumn, which will herald the icy tentacles of an inevitable winter.

Carpe diem…