Postcards from the Lake: Last Postcard of the Season

I hate closing the cottage. I don't know if it's better to do it on a totally crappy day when you think, "Well, can't be outside, swim, too cold to be on the porch, time to leave" or on a perfect-weather weekend like the one we had, where you have something magical to hold onto.

Rick was traveling on business so it was Lizzie and me. She's good company in an odd kind of diva-cat way. Very chatty. Sometimes too chatty but this time it was about right!

There are signs of fall. Sneak previews of what is to come.

And, in some cases, it appears to be coming rather fast, though you wouldn't know from the 80-plus weather and blue sky.

It was a perfect swimming weekend and I did my longest swim -- over a half mile, I think, going fore-and-back. I didn't want to come out of the water!

The fungi is coming out in force now.

I'm fascinated by the shapes -- they're like little fairy houses. If you were old enough to see "Peter Pan" with Mary Martin on telly when you were a child, you might remember the lost boys lived underground and the tops of their houses were spotted mushrooms! I wonder who is living under these?

The exciting thing is that I got a new camera with a 40x zoom (which you have to hold VERY steady!) It's about a half-mile of water between my beach and the county park but you can read the name of the trailer that was parked there!

And in Lizzie's eyes, how many colors do you see? I lost count. (I took that with the zoom from across the room; a little fuzzy but still pretty good, considering the distance.)

I did have time to paint a bit (a very little bit) and to chill out.

And I was blessed with an appearance of the lake heron. I've only seen him flying this year.

On this day he made a much longer appearance, walking the beach.

Wish I could get underneath the dock so easily!

My friend Richard dropped by on his way home from delivering his new novel to bookstores in the north. I'll have a review and Q&A with Richard about his book soon. And my cousin David was up with some of his friends. David is now the official owner of my dad's old fishing hat. He asked (who would have thought to ask if anyone wanted this old cobwebby hat?) It had been in the utility room for years (dad died in 1993), yet I'd never been able to get rid of it. It is right where it belongs! Dad would be so thrilled!

He told me I should check out the moon, a wonderful crescent.

As it dipped lower in the west, it turned this wonderful shade of red. I didn't do anything to this photo. It was that red!

A peek inside. It's so cozy!

David's friends were great and were happy (or at least acted happy!) to let me join them for dinner. Bill even fixed our pesky door lock -- and that was great because I wasn't sure I'd be able to fully close and lock it when I left! Now I can.

When I headed out, the car was packed so full, I couldn't see out the back window! It looked like the Beverly Hillbillies, except it was all inside. Even Lizzie had stuff atop her carrier! Bet you didn't know a Toyota Corolla could hold so much. I thought of those who had to evacuate Hurricane Florence as I was packing. I'm pretty sure I would have packed different things. It wold not have been three bags of books and art supplies, a guitar, ten planters or potted plants, lots of dirty laundry, a computer, a monitor, three bags and a cooler of food, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree. (Actually, a yappy cat in a carrier!)

Time for the last cottage selfie of the season.

Goodbye, Cottage. There's a chance I'll get up again but it's a pretty small one. I'll miss you.

Feels like the end of summer.

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