Underwater August

August is the twilight of summer. The sun is golden and warm and you know it won't last forever. You see one season ending alongside the beginnings of new adventures and stories. Leaves become yellowish. Around here, we haven't seen rain for weeks. The earth smells dry and baked by hot sun. Each footstep crunches on flaxen foxtails and grasses that have long gone to seed. The sky stretches endless blue overhead. 

Yet all these long days won't last. August is a held breath about to be exhaled. Adventures are folded into memories. And we cling onto each day like a precious jewel. We dive into the cool waters and bask in the sun while discussing Halloween costumes, and teachers at school. We look ahead. Even while we want to stay here just awhile longer.

This summer has Olympic games with diving for gold (aka Touch the Bottom of the Pool). And wrestling (of course) which always looks like dancing from under the surface. Lots of flips and handstands. Ian started a game where he asks, "Which jump do you want?" Followed by, "Regular or weird?" And I usually choose weird because I like to see what he inspires him. Like Weird Backflip, Weird Cannonball, Weird Twisty Faceplant. The jumps often feature short performances above the water that have me laughing so hard, I struggle to catch the actual jump without camera shake. Sometimes I just give into the moment and we laugh and laugh together. Last week, I joined the game and they got a huge kick out of my "Weird" jumps (which were more about falling than jumping). 

I love summer. I love the splashing, laughing, wildness of summer. I am so grateful for our forest and pool where we get that summer bliss of lazy afternoons. We have found our summer groove and we love it. Just as school starts next week :)

We're not thinking about endings, though, we are right in the twilight where sun is precious and the colors are dramatic and every moment is changing and delightful.

Long live summer!