Change of Season

 

The season has changed. It is now fall. The arctic wind arrived this week and the light has a different quality. Sunsets are still long and late but a photo in a recent issue of Anchorage Daily News illustrates a dark night sky. Winter will be here soon. But wait, it is only the beginning of August.

When I arrived two weeks ago, it was the height of summer. Gorgeous, warm days and long nights were the norm.

 

On late-night strolls, some people wore shorts and would visit as though the daylight was endless. Our bodies enjoyed the exercise. We traveled the longer routes home while holding hands. I took pictures of the sky and lagoons while we discovered the beauty of this land. Striking photos of calm ocean waters, pink skies, recreational boats, and houses were the subjects. These nights would bring disorientation when we returned home. The hour was late. How could this be with such strong rays of light and warm air?

However, late last week I noticed a different quality to the air, a heaviness. Possible rain even. As I spoke this observation to Rick, it sounded crazy. It was the beginning of August. In the North Bay Area where I was raised, August would bring the hot days of California's Indian summer. The best weather of the year was about to begin on the south central Oregon Coast where we had last lived. But still there was no doubt remaining by midweek. Fall had arrived as evidenced by the dark clouds that enveloped the sky and the wind chill lowered the temperatures. The veil of an ancient cold is moving southward.

At the softball game tonight, we accepted our season's fate. The chilly wind blew the lifeless dust on the field where a wetland used to exist. Drake Construction brought their water truck over and sprayed down the field. Cheers were heard from the bystanders, the Coast Guard's volunteer team, and local players. Children dressed in warm jackets and adults with an occasional pair of gloves were meeting the challenge of the new season.

Fall is short. We've been told that within a month, the weather will be too cold for the children to play outside. Will more of them come to the club? Is that when the first snow falls?