One of the problems about being a Northerner in the South is that summer is over too quickly. This sounds backwards, but it's true - in my internal calendar, summer is kind of just beginning sometime around July, when the window for snow has officially closed for good. In North Carolina, kids are starting to talk about going back to school now that it's August. I actually just started a class again last Thursday. The summer is over.

Well, for what it's worth, we managed to have something resembling a summer vacation, even if it is too abruptly coming to an end. It was at least a change of pace from the usual reality. I had a break from classes that allowed me time to actually start contradancing again, and Erik had a lull in the work-hole that allowed him to yet again complete the legendary Off Road Assault on Mount Mitchell, a 65-mile mountain bike race that he was the only one of all his friends to actually follow through on. The kids have fully become creatures of the sun and water. We spent lots of days at the river, in the pool, or playing with the hose in the driveway. Most days they are out of their clothes and soaking wet by the time we've finished cooking dinner. It's been a great way to meet the neighbors - there's nothing like a naked, 2-year-old red-head coming up your driveway to break the ice.

Why does summer still feel like vacation anyway? There's no good reason - the kids aren't even in school yet. Maybe it's the temporary reprieve from having to wear protective outerwear - and I count socks in that category. Maybe it's the bounty of fresh food that we have in the garden or showing up from our CSA. Or maybe we're all happier in the summer because of latent childhood memories of running around naked and wet in the sun. Whatever the reason, it's been a great summer so far, and I'm going to try to make it last as long as possible, despite the resumption of classes and work and other adult-type stuff. My Northern confusion will be helping me in September, when I instinctively get out the winter coats again, and then get to wear flip-flops for another month.