Summer's gone

It's Labor Day, the official end of summer. Since this ending always makes me gloomy I've moved to what passes for nature here, our plant bedecked patio, where the air has an orange cast to it. Either the gods have changed their color palette or there's smoke in the air. Since I can't smell it, I'll stay. It's about 80 degrees; a lovely day if you like orange.

I've been on Twitter this morning. The news is of DACA and Korea and floods and fires, and I wonder what it all means—or if it's just coincidence, all this destruction and drama coming at us at once. Like you, I am tired of it, I have enough on my plate and I'd like the universe, or our corner of it, to make this shared now a little quieter please; more placid, please. Less yammering and yelling. Please! Bring us some capable leaders, some ordinary weather. As some senators are fond of saying, "we need a return to regular order."

The orange light and terrible news has not affected our cat. She is currently spread across the love seat, one of several stops in her determined effort to spread her shedding hair onto every comfortable chair. I protest, of course, but she is as oblivious to my words as she is to threats of war.

Ray too, is essentially oblivious. We watch the news together but he forgets it as soon as the subject changes, and his lack of worry and general calmness mirrors the cat's. What they have in common is  their complete attention to now—when they're not sleeping—and confidence that their needs will be met. All will be as it is. Right now.

I am the only one in the household who looks at the calendar and sees events rushing toward us at a dizzying speed. It's a strange responsibility. I understand that now is the only place change happens. Now is where life is lived. But time is a construct built of clocks and calendars and at least one of us has to pay attention. Ray can't and Zoe won't. Summer's gone but there's a lot more now ahead. I guess it's up to me.