Nature Doesn't Work At It

I was out taking some nature pictures today, being the first day of Fall. I wanted to get some shots of trees, scenery, whatever was in the area. An old bridge, a running stream, a river, my dog, etc.

There's all this stuff that makes for great pictures. Like if you want the changing of the colors, it's there. The running stream, always a great one to pose. Moss on trees, strange looking flowers, a bumblebee sucking on some yellow flowers, interesting weeds, faded and crackly, the river flowing through sand, on and on.

Even when it's not beautiful, it's beautiful. Like the muddy banks of a creek and sticks laying all helter skelter, like where they've just accumulated.

One thing to say ... for the most part it's just happening. Nothing's out there working at it trying to get the pose exactly right.

Then I try to take a picture of myself and I'm all self-conscious.

Tomorrow's The Last Day Of Summer

Time to put the Beach Boys' CDs away. No more summer! Well, one more day, give or take a few hours.

It's been a fast summer in many ways, sped right by. It wasn't exactly the hottest summer on record, maybe the coolest ... not counting the last Ice Age.

As for my swimming, I only made it to the municipal pool four times. Four stinking times. And guess what, I bought a season pass. So that means I overspent. And my outings were all very short, less than an hour. Meaning, without calculating, I paid enough I should've been swimming in bottled water.

But the weather never really cooperated. Or there were some other problems. The pump broke. Then the other pump broke. And I think terrorists stole the diving board one day, so naturally the pool had to be closed.

There is, though, more to summer than swimming. So I did plenty of other things. Mostly for minutes at a time, trying to avoid the sun and bugs.

Ah, you know what, welcome fall! Summer's never all it's cracked up to be, no matter how much we enjoy it.

Old Man Summer

Summer is quickly starting to seem like an old man to me.

As far as the season goes, it's getting too old to cut the mustard. I was hearing what sounded like locusts today. Which I usually associate with the onset of fallopause. Cold flashes.

The trees look tired. The squirrels are carrying around food. It's cooler than usual. The sky looks gray.

The last hurrah can't be too far off. Everything is accelerated. Nature's giving up.