CELEBRATING THE END OF SUMMER

Sechelt Shoreline

Summer's almost over, although I'm still hoping for a few more beach days. After a steaming hot weekend on the Sunshine Coast last week, the weather took a down-turn and it got rainy and cold. Later this week, the sun has been making a valiant effort to return. I hope it does as I don't want the summer to end. I've been enjoying every moment of it!

Late summer blooms

Last weekend I was up on the Sunshine Coast at the Festival of Written Words. It had been some years since I'd been there so it was good to return. It brought to mind the week, several years back, when I spent time at a women writers' retreat at the lodge there. That old lodge doesn't exist now, much to my disappointment. Apparently it was constructed of temporary sections that began to deteriorate, and they haven't build a new one. Too bad, one of the features of the Festival was after the day's end when writers and readers gathered for wine and cheese in the lodge and got to talk personally to the guest writers after their presentations.

We had fun there last weekend though, and it was inspiring to be there. So this week I have spend much of the time at home getting a lot of writing done. Now it's the weekend and some sunshine is in order. I see gray skies though.

Pretty soon I'll be busy preparing for my Fall classes. And my friend Patrick is coming from Germany for a visit. We are hoping to make at least one trip to the islands when he gets here. I'm hoping for a warm Indian summer during September. There's still lots I want to do including a few more picnics at the beach. I don't want summer to end!

Sunset across the water