Summer's End

Sadly, summer is coming to an end here in South Alabama. Granted, we probably still have several weeks of high heat and humidity to deal with, but the air feels fresher the past couple of days. The nights are a little bit cooler too, and the water in the pool is almost too brisk for a comfortable swim. This subtle change of seasons should be a good thing, but my allergies are now in full swing and I'd like to take a backscratcher to my itching eyes. It's not just the hayfever, though. When it's time to cut back my coneflowers, I know that the year will soon be drawing to a close, and I wonder why I didn't accomplish more throughout the summer, when my energy levels should be high. At least this summer, I managed to get back on track with my art, and that's a very good thing. I may not complete something every day, but I do manage to work on something creative, even if it's just prepping a background or tearing interesting textures or phrases out of magazines.

Pictured above -- the last of the coneflowers, photographed and manipulated in Photoshop. Today's heavy rain has saved them from a brutal pruning, and tomorrow they'll probably look fresh again. I just may have to give them another couple of weeks after all.