Sweet

There have been very good peaches in the markets lately. I especially like the summerwhite variety, and I've been getting them for a dollar a pound at Safeway, the same price as the more acidic yellow peaches. Peaches are the fruit I most closely associate with the end of summer and the onset of autumn. In a year with clear demarcation of the seasons one can go within a few days from balmy afternoons sipping iced tea garnished with slices of sweet summerwhites, to evenings the early chill of which can be offset by a steaming hot bowl of fragrant peach cobbler. This evening though, I munched only a fresh white peach as I watched the gray clouded sky kindle with peachy light as the sun set.

Despite the day having sported an abundance of clouds, the evening is mild. The insects apparently find it so too, as, after having been silent for two nights, they are once again filling the early dark with buzzes and chirps. I don't know how long they'll keep it up, so I intend to go out and listen to their song for a while. I never know which night will be the last to feature a concert until next spring. The bugs might linger another month or more, or might vanish if the early days of fall bring an extended cold spell. The autumnal equinox is this Sunday, September 23, the exact moment being 09:51 UT, which will be 02:51 Pacific Daylight Time. That means that fewer than 30 hours remain of official summer. If the prices are still good, I'll lay in a fresh stock of peaches next time I'm in the store. They'll be something to remember the season by.