Summer's Almost Over

Summer's Almost Over

Oil on canvas, 16x20, $250

The sun beat down with a fury Tuesday, even early in the morning, and I sought shade.

In the hill country of Texas, I painted in a 104-degree afternoon. In Montana, I withstood mosquito clouds, and painted in a 98-degree morning. I've painted in snowstorms and windstorms, I've even painted in showers - but Tuesday, I couldn't stand it. The sun was just too hot.

Standing in the shade, I looked out over this farm and saw autumn's leading edge slicing along the summer hillside. I saw the tinge of orange in the leaves, and the brittle tan of August's feathery weeds. I saw dusty, thick greenery, with almost none of the lemony yellow of spring or early summer. I watched as the shadows grew, so much more quickly than they did a week ago, a month ago, and I felt the summer slip away.

I'm a little sorry to see these golden days go by, I am. And yet, I welcome the glory of autumn's color, the crisp air of fall, and its short, precious days.