A Change of Seasons

As I sit in my swing, wrapped in a blanket drinking coffee, Chloe at my feet barking for the neighbor kids to come and play, I realize it's not just the calendar turning to September that signals a change in seasons. There's a chill in the air this morning. Fall seems to be peeking in the door and wanting to join the party here at the lake.  Today the sun won't chase me from my comfy place to look for shade. Today it will be a welcome companion.

I love fall at the lake. There's just a different atmosphere during our weekend visits. After Labor Day the regulars come less and less.  Especially those with kids in school. Just too many activities going on and not enough time to make it to the lake.  The cabins aren't as full either with kids in school. It will be mostly fishermen coming on the weekends now. At times there will be more geese on the beach than people and more wood ducks swimming than kids. The sunsets have moved down the lake and we know that soon it will be time to close for the season.

I'll trade shorts and tank tops for sweatshirts and pants. The beach towels get packed away and the extra blankets come out. Life jackets also will find their winter home and warm jackets get used more and more.

Our group changes too. There are less visitors coming to stay (who wants to go to the lake in the fall?), so there is more time for us all to get together. We're just not in such a hurry after Labor Day. We still golf, but many times now we'll play best ball in very large groups just so everyone can be together. There won't be as many trips to Barefoot and the concerts at the park are finished for the year. Instead, we'll gather at the store to watch football games, play cards and eat.  We'll grill less and have soup in the crockpot more. Summer salads and sweet corn will be a thing of the past.  In their place we'll have "must-go" nights and we'll eat those things in the freezer that we just don't want to have to take home at the end of the season.

There are lazy mornings in pajama pants and sweatshirts with large mugs of coffee. We'll visit about how fast the summer went and make plans for get togethers during the winter. We start sorting through belongings and make decisions about what to leave over the winter and what needs to go home.

And we dream of the summers to come....