The landscape is changing outside my kitchen window. The greens have started to take on a different tone. Many flowers are reaching maturity.

In the vegetable garden, red tomatoes fill the line of tomato plants and potato plants are drying down. It's only August and I'm not ready to give up summer. Nor am I ready to write out Welcome Fall on chalkboards or wood door swags.

Summer, please hang on. I welcome the cool evenings and mornings, but just maybe they were a bit premature.

I've looked forward to the black-eyed Susan' sharing their yellow blooms and the pompoms of hydrangeas waving hig...