Winter is just around the corner...

July is almost half over. I know if I went back and looked at every day that has passed, it would seem right that it should be mid-summer. But just tonight, thinking about the day I took this picture last winter, all I can think of is that it is going to be Christmas again before I can blink.
Tonight, this yard is green. The buckeye tree is in full leaf and flowers grow where in this picture, the earth rested.
As I sit, on July 11 at 9:16PM, the AC is on and we're watching the Tour de France. Each of us (Jim, Leah and I) are wearing shorts and t-shirts. The fireplace is dark, but the sky is still light. I walk the dogs in the early morning or after 7PM so they don't get too hot in their black fur coats. The days pass, each one a bit shorter than the last. Yet, summer is in her glory. The pools are filled with kids who are young enough to think summer is a long, fun time. Winter is, to them, a distant memory.