Season's End

I returned from a lovely week of exploring the Bay Area and have since been feverishly trying to get ready for the move back to school. Late summer days are waning, rushed and uncherished due to the flurry of activity. So, lest the delights of the season be forgotten, I'm reflecting on them here (as depicted through a few of my favorite snapshots).{1} Ahoy, thrifty! Early summer brought a series of Saturday morning treasure hunts. It was quite fun to see what we'd find out yard "sailing", despite my complete hatred of witnessing dawn from anywhere but under a cozy layer of goose down. I suppose the booty was worth it - a set of old wooden spools of thread (pictured), a circa 1960 cigar tin (pictured), a collection of old pens and nibs (a few are pictured), a schoolroom globe for charting future voyages, an Italy tour book (so I can dream about putting those two semesters to good use) and a porcelain robin... not to mention a few other finds I've posted about previously.
{2} Green Acres Away at school I always miss the backyard. Such lovely expanses aren't quite at home in the city. Earlier this summer I spent a warm afternoon hanging laundry on the clothesline, marveling at the interplay of pattern and color, the flutter of fabric consumed in breeze-coaxed movement and the serenity of leaf filtered light pouring through the trees. I abandoned such silly reverie long enough to pick a pocket full of sweet peas, informal and unpretentious, with an unexpectedly pretty fragrance. As my afternoon would suggest it is simplicity and modesty wherein beauty lies - quite true of most things.
{3} Dog's Best Friend He's getting on in years, our little Jack Russell Terrier. Slower than he used to be, but still prone to rambunctious bouts of energetic bouncing, leaping and tail-wagging. He was my companion this summer during hours spent on outdoor projects, and I'll quite miss being greeted daily by this fuzzy, inquisitive little fellow. I like to think he'll miss me too, after all I'm the one who sneaks him his unconventional treats - he's got a penchant for pears and won't hesitate to devour a ripe, juicy one in it's entirety.
{4} By the Sea, By the Sea At the height of summer, when the Friday afternoon forecast is just right, Mom and I head to the beach. Under the shade of an umbrella it's sublime to look out on a glittering sea and unpack a basket of treats - brown paper-wrapped brownies, sketchbook and watercolors, magazines to lazily peruse. An entire afternoon with nothing to do but talk as mothers and daughters do, tire of idle amusements and dive under cool waves as they roll toward the shore.
{5} Hometown Girls In August, Alice and I set out to explore our hometown. From the antique store on Main Street across from the '40s playhouse, to the history laden interiors of the old 19th century rancho adobe. We stopped for the quintessential soft serve cone from the corner stand on our way home, and ended the day gardening and picking some irresistibly lovely hydrangeas.