Morning Fog and Nighttime Crickets

I am a self-proclaimed wimp when it comes to most of summer.  The heat, the sunshine...my body was not made for it.  However, I am a huge fan of the summer months because, as most would observe, nature is so alive and active.

When I get up in the morning, Tucker in tow, our first task is to head outside.  Most recently, when we do so, it's like the hills are in the process of waking up.  The sky only alludes to the sunshine's existence at this time, and this provides just enough light to feature the hills' release of the fog.  While I'm not a major fan of the dense fog that erases one's surroundings temporarily, this gentle morning fog is so beautiful.  It's as thought it has been trained to behave like morning would have it behave.  It quiets everything, gives the illusion of stillness.  And, before you know it, the hills have wiped the sleep from their eyes, and the fog is gone without a trace.  Amazing...and beautiful.

On the flipside of morning, there is bedtime, which brings with it a last trip outside with Tucker.  Just over the past week or so, I've noticed a little Jiminy Cricket that has taken up residence right around the steps to the front porch--perhaps maximizing his potential to benefit from our garden.  (Note that I realize Jiminy Cricket is not the best representation of the real cricket community; however, have you ever skimmed images of crickets?  Creepy.)  After a few trips past him, even Tucker took notice of his audible presence, searching the landscape at his level to determine where this new chirp was coming from.  This went on for a few days before I realized that Jiminy had obviously brought his entire cricket community with him, as the night air is now full of the chirps of many.  And then it was after this that I realized this is the most prominent sound of summer that there is to be had.  What an amazing chorus.

As summer starts to melt (quite literally this year) into fall, I can't wait to see what nature has to bring in the new season.