NOT that summer is over. It is not. Sure the kids are going back to school, sure it's cooler at night, but summer is still alive and well and you can put the pumpkin spiced candle down for now. We're not there yet.
This is, on the other hand, the traditional end of summer for most people's brains. The Labour day weekend.
What I Have Planned
For this last long weekend of the summer my goal is to accomplish these things:
- Bath, blow dry and clip Philip
- Watch the US Open
- Go to an antique market, buy things I don't need and eat french fries
- Make my first batch of canned tomato sauce for the year
- Make some pizza and sit outside at night - not sure if I'll invite guests or not.
They might not be exciting plans, but at least if someone asks me what I'm doing this long weekend instead of saying "Nothing" I can answer with confidence that I'll be doing these things.
These things will be ignored by most people as they wait for me to ask them what THEY are doing this long weekend. They're going to the cottage by the way. All of them. All the people who ask what I'm doing will be going to a cottage.
Thanks to bathing a 62 pound dog, my memories will be just as water soaked as theirs.
This is What My Summer Looked Like
Taken straight from my camera roll. My summer memories. Not perfect shots with good lighting and pretty editing.
This ... is my life. The real one.
Yep. This happens to me too. #compostablebags 
C'mon Getting ready to make Garlic Scape Pesto 
Betty at the garde Rearranged the bedroom. Found dust Wallaby's behin Hike up a hil with the dog. I waited for half an hour for a train to come by. It didn't. So here's a pretty shot A MOUNTAIN of writhing ants at the garden. The same day a snake. The same day a toad. THIS was a ridiculously good beef and broccoli recipe from Natasha's Kitchen that I wanted to remember. I highly recommend i Remember the golf course walk? Strawberry Jam day - note the berry stained kitchen towel hanging off the doorknob. Shagging.
Are you bored yet?
I understand if you are.
This is the online version of someone showing you their vacation photos.
Counter conditioning for reactivity on the trails. Same day but with his hair up so he can see. This was when I discovered if you accidentally make a mess of your wood oven pizza, you can flip it over and turn it into a Panzerotti. 
The first time I could see the sunrise from bed in 25 years. Philip and his best friend Sterling on one of their many, many, many, many walks. Sterling his usual happy go lucky self. Philip his usual self. A single petunia stem makes an easy long lasting flower arrangement. Found a feather on a walk. Stuck it in a tree.
Post professional haircut Outside the old doctor's office. A tray of radishes. Sent the pic to Betty. She thought they were beets. I'd like to draw your attention to the size of Philip's tongue. Post haircut by me. This is the same one I'll be doing this weekend. Arrangement made from OTHER even bigger arrangement my former renter dropped off one evening. That's my Uncle Jack and his catch of the day. He also gave me the vintage Picasso print in the previous photo. One afternoon I went outside and someone had put tiny rocks painted like shoes in my flower bed. The very first one of these of the season. Another night that another neighbour dropped off something for me! (she made it) Wheat Woes. Separating the grain from the chaff. BEET varieties. Behind, Detroit Dark Red beet. In front, Merlin. Family dinner at Quatrefoil. Fried Green tomatoes done fancy! My new favourite bowl for a single snack serving of chips. My biggest fear in summer is running out of buffalo mozzarella. Pausing so we don't scare the deer. 
Community Garden annual end of summer BBQ / pot luck. 
Getting ready to make Wild blueberry banana bread. Which you'll find out all about next week. One of a zillion flower arrangements from this summer. You'll see a lot more of these later in the year.
Have a good long weekend. I'll be here eating pizza and washing a dog. How about you? Lemme guess. You're going to a cottage.
I absolutely love Philip’s leash on the golf course.
Well I've been home with a horrible back situation (all throughout my birthday) so I really am doing The Nothing. I just want to go see Barbie for Chrissakes!
What is that lovely looking brass thing in your Berry Day photo?
Hi Leslie. That's my water carbonator. It's this fancy one, and I love it. Betty bought it for me for Christmas.
We were working on an addition/renovation before the weather turns so didn't go anywhere, but decided to do "yard camping"! Pulled up the camper van next to the firepit area and slept in it for two nights...quietest campsite ever! LOL
And no traffic or hoping a rest stop magically appears soon! ~ karen
As a matter of fact…. I along with you did NOT go to a cottage. I save that for this weekend coming when all the kiddos are back to school/sports/dance, and I have the beach to myself.
You are lucky to find dust wallabies--I tend to find dust rhinos!
These pics are GREAT....you always have good ones, but the flower arrangements and Sir Lip, Earl of Tongue (of course) just made my weekend! I'm not going TO a cottage, but I am in the middle of BUILDING a cottage.....does that count?? (I admit, I'd rather be visiting one already built, just sitting around and admiring the perfectly balanced decor and completed English Garden flowerbeds, but we can't always get what we want.....or so says Sir Lips, Duke of The Stones)....oh well. At least it's a long weekend. Yay!
That pic of Philip with his hair pulled up in a clip looks like Bea Arthur on a bad hair day. Just sayin’ 🤣
I love this! A summer full of simple pleasures.
Staying here in our log cabin on top of our little mountain in Northern Idaho and going to a neighborhood barbecue with our good friends up here
In Minnesota, everyone goes “up north” for the weekend. Could be northern MN or even Wisconsin, don’t matter. I once had a boss from Texas and she asked me where “up north” was, lol.
WE have up north too, lol. Except here up north often means further north of cottage country. ~ karen!
I loved this summer review--so colorful. I will spend the holiday wishing I had pizza and a dog to walk and pamper. Nah, forget the pizza part 😊
Never EVER forget the pizza. ~ karen!
I’m going to take all the empty wine 🍷 bottles to the recycle station. Then we’ll open some more to celebrate the long weekend. Oh, and watch the US Open.
what s the brass thing in the jam photo?
It' an Aarke water carbonator. :) I love it a lot. ~ karen!
My niece has a copper one. It’s so much prettier than my SodaStream but mine lasted longer lol. And I’m cheap.
Thank you for the photo essay of "What I did this Summer". What is the brass thing behind the strawberry jam? And my looooong weekend plans....Ned our Springer having fun in his pool then getting the mud off him, prepping my 93 yo father's house for sale, reading in the garden. Love a long weekend.
It's an Aarke soda fizzer! That is a full long weekend. I'm already thinking of cutting out one of my to-dos so I get the chance to read in the backyard. ~ karen!