Late Summer Ode

I wasn’t sure about today when I woke early this morning. My room felt chill, as if summer had well and truly upped and left, and my little feline bedmate was nowhere to be seen. I guess it just goes to show you shouldn’t always trust your instincts, because today turned out to be a wonderful for-the-history-books sort of day, the morning cool dispersing to reveal an as near to perfect as it gets late summer day. So warm I left my tights at home and ran about town in merely my beat up loafers and a cotton dress as summery as they come. The Tube was grimy and the newsprint ran but it was a day so filled with laughter and unexpected meetings that I forgot to care. Some good news and a slice of banana bread for breakfast followed by a long tube ride with my favourite sister to buy a battered (but still, I’m in love) olive green bicycle (that’s a whole ‘nother story) in the back ends of Hammersmith, a dawdling tube ride home, and then a Olympian speed shower when a dear friend telephoned to tell me to get my old self back on the tube and back to downtown as quickly as possible for some afternoon exploits must be one of the most silly and marvellous ways to spend a sunny city day. Complete recipe with a sunset bike ride (on aforementioned new-old two wheeler) with neighbours, film camera in one’s basket.

I’m trying to soak up the last days of summer with all my being now, those last drops of potent sunshine and last hours lying bare-legged in the grass. Picnics in everyone’s favourite suburban park, rounds of dominoes atop blankets, just soft enough peaches and nectarines and pressed apple juice and the prospect of sea swimming next week! All I want to do is run about with my best girlfriends, run errands with my mother, braid my hair lying in the park and write. And for now, that’s what we’ll do. I am a lucky girl and I’m making sure to appreciate it.