Summer’s End

by Karen Shughart

Here in our village on Lake Ontario we’re surrounded by orchards, vineyards, and farmland; gently rolling hills and meandering streams teeming with an abundance of fish. It’s a beautiful place throughout the year, but the month of August is special in so many ways.

Our summer days are long with the sun rising early and setting late; in June raucous birds awaken us starting at about 3:30 a.m. While there’s something peaceful and magical about watching the sun rise so early, it’s rose-gold rays streaking the water with brilliant light, it’s a bit of a relief when August rolls around and we can get a couple more hours of sleep.

This time of year it stays light until after 9 p.m. But now a chorus of cicadas add a soft, rhythmic background to the fireflies that sparkle and dance their way across our yard. On clear nights, when humidity is low, the sky is awash with stars so dense to appear as a carpet covering an inky background.  Unlike earlier, warmer summer evenings, we can occasionally sleep with the windows open.

Warm days are the norm with high humidity,  hazy skies, and a calm, almost glassy sea. But sometimes the temperature drops, and the air is clear with a bright blue sky, lazy white clouds, and ocean-sized waves that pound onto the beach, letting us know that autumn is just around the corner.

Yet, summer hangs on: sailboats dot the horizon; pontoons chug lazily about and motorboats speed to unknown destinations. Along the shore, at least for a couple more weeks, the sounds of happy children will fill the air as they and their families splash in the water, play in the sand, and picnic under a large, shaded gazebo with sweeping views of the lake.

In August a cornucopia of locally grown produce offers up its bounty at a multitude of farm stands and markets. Lovely squashes, tomatoes, stone fruits, corn, beans, and herbs create a riot of color far more beautiful than any still life painting.  And we know that soon, very soon, the first crop of apples and pears will be ready to harvest.

The emerald-green grass of past months starts to brown, the  bright summer flowers lose some of their bloom, and the limbs on deciduous trees, with their deep, dark leaves, droop with heaviness as they begin to fade. In a month or so, their rich, warm hues will paint the landscape with breathtaking color.

Something about the light and the air brings visions of fall: bright, sunny days as crisp as biting into a just-picked apple. The air is perfumed; instead of with the sweetness of honeysuckle and rose, there’s  a rich, earthy ripeness that tells us that the end of summer is drawing nigh.

Later in the month, when the tourists and seasonal residents have gone, there’s a quiet interrupted only by the occasional growling of a lawn mower, the buzz of insects, the bark of a dog, or the quiet chatter of friends and neighbors who pass by.

Karen Shughart is the author of the award-winning Edmund DeCleryk cozy mystery series, set in the northern Finger Lakes region of New York. Her fourth book, Murder at Chimney Bluffs, was just released. She has also co-authored two mysteries and written two non-fiction books. A member of CWA, North America Chapter, and FLARE (Finger Lakes Authors and Readers Experience), she lives with her husband, Lyle, in Sodus Point, NY.  Her books are available at local gift shops, bookstores and in multiple formats at amazon.com.