by Norma J. Kirkpatrick

It looks as if the summer of 2016 has finally started packing its bags with signs that it is leaving at last.  I don’t believe I remember having a summer as long, hot, dry and persistent as  this one, and I’ve been around for a lot of summers.  It sort of reminds me of a relative one really does like, who has some traits to admire, but has worn out their welcome and just keeps hanging around.
Summer has ignored the calendar and forced us to wear sleeveless and legless clothes past the first day of fall, headed for time change and  still here at Halloween.    Have you ever seen a scarecrow in shorts?  Okay, don’t joke; I mean one made of straw with a pumpkin head.
We are on the threshold of November; still running the AC in the old car; or at church; and so we can sleep at night or at church too when your eyes get too heavy.  The leaves are starting to change, but turn brown quickly to fall onto the brown grass.  If you want to see the charm of foliage changing colors, look fast.  When you step on the leaves they are dry and crunchy, trying to hurry up and get out of the way for the Christmas wreath.
Like I said, summer has worn out its welcome; not even giving us a good rain now and then or a surprise cooling breeze once in a while after sunset.  It has been mostly impossible to sit on the porch and chat with neighbors walking by with dogs in their fur coats, tongues hanging out and panting hard.  It’s too hot to even chase a squirrel.
Maybe it will be better next year. Right now, I need to go turn down the thermostat.