Last hurrah

This weekend is the last hurrah; the dog days of summer are on their way out.  By Tues. the kids will be back in school; and Halloween will be just around the corner.  But today and Monday; many are still celebrating summer as it slowly slips away.  Here in Southern California we are just heating up; September is our hottest month, my least favorite one here although fall back home in the east is my season of choice.   But even though it will remain hot here; the official "summer" is over.  Our temps will heat up and we will spend more and more time inside; but our fall will eventually get here and that is when the fun begins.  Your fun may begin much sooner if you are already feeling that wonderful evening nip in the air.

Water fun is still great into the fall; the air temps are cooler but the water stays warm for a while.  This makes it the perfect time for water retrieving in the day and nice cool temps for sleeping at night.  One of the wonderful things about fall is that most bugs have gone.  When the temps drop at night the mosquitos seem to quickly disappear; something that no one is sad to see go.  Evenings may be darker but the lack of constant buzz around your head is............well; pretty great so welcome the wonderful early sunset.  Fall walks in woods, yards or anywhere deciduous trees are plenty is spectacular.  The added ambiance from the sound of crunching leaves beneath your feet and your dogs paws means that colder temperatures are just around the corner.  Is there anything more relaxing than listening to your dog run through the fallen leaves?

There is a very obvious change in the dogs when it gets cooler.  An extra spring in their step; more zoomies around the yard and a general fervor in their day to day.  For the last couple of scorching days here in Southern California; the dogs have been zonked to say the least.  They get out for a very early morning meander and thats it for the day.  Even the evenings have stayed hot; the heat eminating from the sidewalks makes it just too hot to do anything but sleep; especially for seniors.

Years ago we would have had the doggie pool set up; the sprinkler going and would have probably been to the beach.  But now we just wait out the heat; knowing full well it has to leave at some point.  And when the last of it is but a memory; we will be out enjoying the lower temperatures and breeze of fall.  And it won't be just the dogs who have an added spring in their step. 

Hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend as you say good-bye to the summer and hello to the fall.