Carpe Diem, The Series: WHO STOLE SUMMER?

woman with bike

Paul Stevens

Looking at the calendar, Labor Day is but a memory and that means that summer if all but done.  I know, you are going to say that summer doesn’t actually end until September 21st but when the kids are back to school and the vacation period is history, summer is effectively done.  But wasn’t it spring just a couple of weeks ago?! Looking back on it, there wasn’t much in the way of down time during the prime June/July/August period so that certainly makes time go by in a rather expeditious manner.

With the arrival of September, the days are noticeably shorter and the nights considerably cooler.  This allows us to open the windows at night to get some fresh air and put the air conditioner on hold until next year.  It’s longer ago than I care to consider but even though it has been literally decades since I had to get myself ready for school or university, come September, I still get the feeling that there is something I should be doing to gear up for the coming year.  I still have dreams about getting ready for an upcoming exam or fretting about getting that research paper done. Old habits die hard I guess.

The devastation released by the back-to-back Hurricanes of Harvey and Irma was off the charts and I feel deeply for those left to deal with the clean-up and repair.  I can’t imagine returning to a home that if still standing, is probably beyond repair. Where do you start with your clean-up efforts?  Located where we are in southwestern Ontario, we are well insulated by distance from the impact of these storms but what we are left with is an extension of summer-like weather as warm air is pushed further north than what we might otherwise experience.  By no means does this suggest any level of satisfaction with what others are suffering through and we would most definitely prefer to see weather patterns that are not turned on their ear.

male bikerWe have had a spell of what I like to call ‘soft’ weather characterized by room temperatures, moderate humidity, very sunny, and mild winds.  Nothing close to what those to the south of us have been going through.  What this means for this corner of the world is that the cycling weather has been superb and I and my fellow Manditos (our cycling group here in Sarnia) have taken advantage of it.  Given that hockey season will soon arrive, this is a great opportunity to get the legs in shape to at least the point where they can take me from one end of the rink to the other without undue difficulty.  Last year at this time, I was looking forward to starting the season as I was able to get

Last year at this time, I was looking forward to starting the season as I was able to get in a lot of mileage on the bike and thought myself to be in decent shape.  Unfortunately, I had an untimely face-to-face meeting with a pick-up truck that caused me to miss at least of few months of activity.  Once I was able to get moving again, it was like starting from a clean slate as all the benefits of an active summer were wiped out.  This time around, I have avoided any such incidents so does this mean I’ll be a veritable terror on the ice?  Not likely but at least I should feel physically comfortable. Wayne Gretzky’s dominance in the record books will have little or no competition from this quarter.

Aside from very pleasant weather, this time of year brings the bounty of the land to full bear.  We benefit from being within an easy reach of some of the finest agricultural land in Canada and the output is on full display in a local Farmer’s Market which is just down the street from our house here in Sarnia.  This is a true Farmer’s Market as the vendors are the actual growers; you are not dealing with a broker who would have purchased his or her goods from the local growers.  The produce is as fresh as it gets (picked that morning!) and the prices are exceptional as you are not paying a mark-up to the grocer.   Fresh corn on the cob, field tomatoes, fresh fruit and a wide variety of table vegetables makes for some very tasty compliments to whatever might have ended up on the BBQ.

After a good ride on the bike, putting together a fine meal with the freshest of ingredients makes for a wonderful way to finish the day.  Throw in an after dinner walk taking in the Caribbean-blue waters of  Lake Huron and I am left to wonder why it took me so long to leave the heavily congested area of Toronto. (To be honest, gainful employment and the need to make money/pay bills probably had a lot to do with it.)

Next up on the agenda will be a number of fall fairs that are sprinkled through the area.  These are small-town affairs that feature goods from their respective immediate communities. Lots of baked goods using all that stuff that comes from the farms and this means that it needs to be balanced against some extra miles on the bike. Not a bad trade-off at all.

With the advent of fall comes the changing of colour of the trees and this has already started in very subtle tones but definite evidence that we will have to wait until next year for another summer.  I have no issue with that as I am a fan of the changing seasons. I even enjoy winter and the changes that it brings about. Shorter days, heartier food and the chance to get out skiing.  Winter doesn’t last forever and even on the coldest and snowiest of days, spring is always around the corner.

I have been to tropical areas and as beautiful as they are, I couldn’t see myself being in those locations long term.  Every day is the same; the sun comes up at 7 a.m. and goes down at 7 p.m. – every day, all year ‘round. Ho-Hum. Maybe when I get on in years this may become an attractive option but while I am able to enjoy the variety that the change of seasons brings, I’ll do my best to make use of the choices.

I have been to tropical areas and as beautiful as they are, I couldn’t see myself being in those locations long term.  Every day is the same; the sun comes up at 7 a.m. and goes down at 7 p.m. – every day, all year ‘round. Ho-Hum. Maybe when I get on in years this may become an attractive option but while I am able to enjoy the variety that the change of seasons brings, I’ll do my best to make use of the choices.

We still have several weeks of cycling available to us and we’ll continue until the snow flies which likely means we’re into mid-late November or even early December, given the effects of global warming on the modern world.  In the interim, hockey and fall fairs await.

Your friend, Paul.

And remember – Carpe Diem (but in relaxed sort of way)!

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