The Queen's Chair: It's August, Already

Where is the time going? It's August 2nd and the summer is almost gone. In about a month, I'll be sending my daughters back to school. And it will be back-to-the-grind...so to speak. I sat down with the family and reviewed school rules, came up with shopping lists, and will be practicing getting up early in the morning with new alarm clocks.

I also thought about a few projects around the house that I have to do and some "fun" summer things still on my list like purchasing a digital camera, a hot air balloon ride, a boat trip along the canal, a ride on the Maid of the Mist, spending more time on my porch, and a lap top computer now that I have a high school freshman in my house.

A few weeks ago, we went to Hamlin State Beach for a post-Music Fest party. There was an accident on the parkway and we had to take a detour. Along the way, the girls enjoyed the sites of nature: green fields, flowers, cows, ducks, and geese. Then we got to the beach and a cascade of more flowers and manicured lawns. It wasn't the beach I remembered as a kid. The seaweed and dead fish floating on the surface of the water are gone. Instead, you can now see beautiful shores and people swimming in the the small pounding waves. Boats seem so tiny in the distance, as I watch my daughters skim toss rocks into the water and chase each other across the shore lines.

We have to go back, I think. I don't have a digital camera. And I want to capture this moment electronically, so I can remember this for a long time. So many summer memories, I want to experience, create and capture. I better get moving, school is just around the corner.