You only get so many summers

With the coming of fall, we begin to hope for cooler days, though so far there hasn't been such a shift. We celebrate the symbolic end of summer, Labor Day, by having cookouts, spending time in the water for one of the last swims, and setting a chore list for the weekend so long that we will never accomplish half of what we hope to.

As somebody once said, there is only one summer per year, and in a similar vein, there are only so many summers allotted to your life, or linkmine. The number is finite, though we don't know what that number is.

Better, then, to take stock of what you have done during this summer, than to count what you have not achieved. I personally will never get to experience all that I wish to, so it's better to look on the bright side.

The hoped for hike up Wheeler Peak did not happen, but we did get to take Jason and Mikayla hiking near there, down into the Rio Grande Gorge, by Taos. On that hike, we saw deer, mountain sheep, and got to help in arranging for the rescue of a hiker who had fallen and injured his ankle. If you consider it, the last aspect is very cool, and was a good lesson for the kids. Wheeler Peak, best handled when unaccompanied by children, will still be there next year.

I was able to ascertain that the Wheatfields-like place that my parents have moved into is, indeed, a good place for them to be. It's kind of weird to go to the place where you grew up and see it empty and devoid of memories, but those who have aging parents will understand the desire to make sure that they have made the right choices.

We attended an Amarillo baseball game, and once again discovered that, dollar for dollar, it's just as much fun to watch as major league. Just wish we had realized that, for an extra five bucks, we could have sat in the special seats with picnic tables and people bringing you your hotdogs and cokes.

We rediscovered a local lake that, due to drought conditions, we hadn't visited for two years. Of course it's the same lake, and of course there was always water in it, but it's so much nicer when you have enough rain to keep it healthy.

No recounting and reassessing would be complete without going back to the beginning:the once in a lifetime chance to visit the US Virgin Islands, chaperoning a senior trip. I was able to give my beloved a once in a lifetime, too, stashing money so that she could attend a wedding in Hawaii. That was a significant part of my summer for reasons most husbands can understand.

Clyde Davis is a Presbyterian pastor and teacher at Clovis Christian High School. He can be contacted at:

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