Scenes of Summer

Summer in Chicago is the best. Millions of people sit together in the park to watch awesome fireworks while listening to the symphony perform all the traditional favorites. The beaches are filled with sunbathers, volleyball players, toddlers with sand toys and big boys and girls too. This year, they've planted palm trees on "my" beach. A bit strange against the skyscraper backdrop but hey, why not. Then of course, there's the Cubs. 'Nuff said, I don't want to jinx it. And we have gorgeous farmers markets all over the city, but THIS year, I am growing my own tomatoes right up here on the 58th floor, see?? Who knew? Summer is good. This summer is good. There's only one problem with summer. Lou died at the end of it. And so, every now and then, I catch myself as I'm enjoying summer. It happens at dusk, at the end of a lovely summer day. When the sky turns from clear blue to violet to misty gray, and the day melts into the lake. It catches me then. That feeling of time slipping away. Of life slipping away, as it did, that summer day. We always want summer days to last forever, don't we?