Summer always goes fast,
but that's usually because it's filled with fun activities that make the weeks race by faster than a cheetah on a Red Bull diet.
There are barbecues, beach days, family reunions, picnics,
outdoor concerts, amusement parks, pool parties,
blockbuster movies, county fairs, baseball games........
Sigh.
Considering that this was the summer of "Groundhog Day,"
where everyday was pretty much the same,
I'm kind of stunned that September got here so quickly.
Thinking back to late spring, one of the coldest I can remember,
it seemed like summer would never come.
It actually snowed on May 9.
But come, it did, and gone it is.
In May and June, most of my time was spent in the backyard.......
Enjoying time on my deck.......
Watching the birds......
And admiring the flowers in my yard.
My only excursion was to the garden center.
It seemed fairly benign,
as it was easy to social distance in wide open spaces.
Life actually felt somewhat normal while I was planting flowers.......
I did take walks around the neighborhood,
sometimes spotting little tokens of inspiration.
Eventually, I was desperate for a change of scenery.
There were only so many backyard bird photos one could take.
At first, I would only venture as far as the local park.......
It felt odd seeing everyone out in their masks, trying to find a sense of normalcy.
However, there were reminders that things were not normal at all.
Parking capacity was limited.......
and playgrounds were off limits
Then, as if Covid-19 wasn't enough to rock our world, we were shaken to our core,
as was much of the nation, with the killing of George Floyd.
It was important to us to show our support.
On July 4th, there were no barbecues, or fireworks.
I needed to go SOMEWHERE,
and it was wonderful to discover a new place really close to home.
In July, we finally felt safe enough to go to New York City
and catch up on a bunch of postponed doctor appointments.
It felt both wonderful, and terribly sad to be back.
We took rides to here and there.......
Another new discovery was the State Line Lookout
on the border of NY and NJ overlooking the Hudson River.
We've driven by literally thousands of times,
but never stopped to take a look.......
We had a couple of outings to the quaint village of Cold Spring, NY.......
And we drove past Yankee Stadium, where they played ball to empty stands.
As the transmission rate of Corona virus in the tri-state area of NJ, NY and CT
dropped (and has stayed) below 1%,
we felt safer going out to outdoor restaurants that were strict about
social distancing, disinfecting, and enforcing mask-wearing.
It felt great to be back at one of our favorites, Half Moon, in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
It overlooks the Hudson River, and New York City is visible in the distance.
Now it's September, and before we know it, the weather will turn cold,
limiting our ability to dine outside, have social distance visits with friends,
or sit in a park.
I wish that Coronavirus would just Exit Right.
