Summer Sets

Beach at the lake was empty but for my kids and I.  They cast sand to watch it sprinkle across the top of the water, and tossed stones trying to make them skip, and sometimes they did.  Shoes all off and pants rolled up the warm sand on top gave way to cold when I dug my toes and fingers down under.  It is what I do though, while the kids play, during those rare moments all three are happy at the same time. I don't want them to really know I am watching them as I sift pebbles of sand through my fingers like tiny memories stored only at this beach.

Squinting through the late day sun slung low through the pines, I am really trying to soak up their summer. They know how to live like summer, all the time!  They just keep living it till the snow falls. I feel like I can only grasp at it when it is here, so I try not to notice that the smell of smoke curling from a nearby chimney has replaced the waft of sunscreen, and a sprinkle of leaves has replaced the people usually scattered across the beach, the way my kids don't notice.  All the while the sun in sinking furtherout of sight, the last ray slowly disappearing at the far end of beach.  Then we run kicking up sand and laughing, one last jump in the lake. . ..  Whooo.... cold!!!  before we go.