September

Today is September 1 and it both feels and looks like it. Actually the first day of September, in terms of both look and feel, happened towards the end of last week, a day or so before Tropical Storm Danny came roaring through. It was, as it always is, a reminder of a change of season, often a fairly sharp reminder. The goldenrod and tansy were in full bloom, reminding teachers and students alike that vacation is coming to an end, the hydrangea petals were showing hints of pink at the edges, and the burning bush down in front had already started to redden.

The sharpness of the September reminder, which usually happens around the last week of August, is partly visual. The sky will be a deeper and sharper blue, and the colours of the foliage will be sharper, the edges more finely delineated, but it is also tactile, you can feel it first thing in the morning in the cool draft from the open window. The wind will be out of the northwest and the air will be drier, as if it too has an edge. It will be a beautiful day, and the sun will be warm enough, but there is something in the day to let us all know, if we care to, that the lazy ease of summer is going to soon shift into autumn, with all the wonders that season can bring, on the way to the winter which will surely come.

So today is the first day of September. At Saint Mary’s this afternoon there were large and small trucks, vans, utility trailers, and hatchbacks, all unloading student possessions and furnishings at the entrance to the residence tower. Later on the patio at Henry House I wished I either had a jacket or was sitting in the sun while I enjoyed my beer. The cruise ships were lined up at Pier 20, starting their fall tours of the Maritimes, and one of the Harbour Hoppers was parked in the lot on Maynard Street with a large cover over it. Tonight’s forecast said that the low would be 10, but 4 in low lying areas, with a risk of frost, no less! These were all signs, signs of September, signs of the ending of summer, signs of a shift of tempo, signs of the season.

There is lots ahead of us to look forward to, and summer can’t last forever, but I still want to walk back to Purcell’s Pond for another swim, get out to Martinique Beach to ride some waves, and keep on wearing shorts and sandals. Probably we will do these things, but we will be doing them in the clear knowledge that September is here, any summer days now are a treat to be savoured, and each time may well be the last time we do it this season. After all, it is September!