When dark clouds rolled in a few times, it felt like the rain would wash away summer quickly. The hottest days of 30+ degrees are over, but we’ve had a hot and humid august with many sunny days and some thunderstorms in between. Sometimes after swimming or paddling, when I’m drying in the sun, I wonder if that day would be the last summer day. The last swim of the year. Or the last time paddling before the lakes freeze again. You never know. Some years we’re still swimming in September, while other years even August feels too cold.

So the lesson of the North: make the best of every opportunity!