Summer listening, Joni Mitchell

 

This is a summer bouquet from our garden.

There's something about the end of summer that reminds me of the Circle Game by Joni Mitchell. Lately, my daughter and I have been listening to her music and we always feel empowered by her writing and lifted by her keen sense of intuition. With the soon to be departure of my youngest off to college and my other daughter for her final college year, I can't seem to listen to Circle Game without fighting back tears. This end of summer has marked a new cycle in our seasons around here...rather than crunch time to get the first issue of the high school paper out, more than a few trips to Staples for school supplies, and talking about SAT tests, we are ordering engineering textbooks on the internet and shopping for dorm accessories. We are excited yet a bit sad by this new season of change, but like the song we continue in the circle game.

 I spent way too much time trying to get a good picture of this butterfly, but just as I was about to give up it rested on this Rhododendron leaf.