Summer

I just got back from a late-night walk with my dogs. It's been so hot lately that this is the only time of day that it's bearable.

For some reason the neighborhood was full of life tonight. Other people were out walking, and several cars drove by. I also heard people laughing and splashing at five different pool parties. I didn't get the night-swimming memo, but it made the night seem so summery and happy. It reminded me of the way summer used to feel when summer meant non-stop vacation, fun and carefree and where 11 on a Thursday night is as good a time as any to hop in the pool.

I also walked my dogs this late last night. It was like a different world. The houses were pitch black, and I kind of felt like I might be the only person left in the world. A lone teenager went speeding by, and everything so silent that I could hear his car revving and screeching for a very long time after he was gone. The sprinklers were running in front of one house. The way the water was haloed by the moonlight made it look like it wasn't moving at all, a ghostly mist that settled into the night.

I much prefer nights like tonight. And I think maybe I'll go hop in the pool....