One Day Closer To Autumn

The air is still steamy, but there was a change in the light today. It was a little clearer, a little brighter, a little less like something seen through a muddy telescope. The air conditioner is humming again, but I was able to shut it off for about twenty four hours, til late this afternoon. The end of summer is finally in sight.

Emily likes the heat even less than I do, which always makes me laugh since she's nowhere near my bulk. She's lying on the bed wearing jean shorts and a tank top, her sandals are tucked neatly under the edge of the bed. Her hair is in a ponytail and she's wearing silver earrings shaped like sunbursts. It occurs to me that I've never seen her in shorts before, and now I wish I had!

Earlier we took a walk up Henry Street. One of the guys smoking cigarettes outside the Henry Street Ale House looked at us and smiled, offered me a high five. I was gonna ignore it, but Emily said, "Damn Jim, he's saying I'm hot! So slap him some!" I did. Cos she is!

When we got back here, with two pints of ice cream, Emily took the bowls off the shelf and began scooping. In my entire sixty seven years on this planet I have never known anyone who likes ice cream as much as Emily does.

And now she's sleeping, with an ice cream smile on her lips and the Skunk sleeping on her tummy. I love her, and I love him, and if that ain't happiness, well then, there ain't no such thing!