Déjà vu all over again

Living in Central PA, life is spectacular. Beauty is all around and easy to take for granted.
It wasn’t all that long ago birds were waking me in the morning with incredible harmonies. When I went outside today I realized that the robins are no longer here; they’ve left Summer ’11 behind.
It is now mid September and the grass is still a gorgeous shade of green. Without a word of warning it will soon change to a dull, drab hue of goodnight-for-the-winter yellowish brown.
The sun has begun to replace the warming direct overhead sunshine with the blessings of beautiful slanted rays, filling our senses with awe at the incredible spectrum of color.
The smells of grilling burgers and chicken once filled the neighborhoods … now there are whiffs of smoke from burning fire pits that linger in the evening sky.
Yes, the days are getting shorter, with the sun joining me later than it use to and leaving me earlier than I’d like.
I’ve been here before … it’s the end of another summer. I took it for granted, acting as if it would be here forever. I should have known that Summer ’11 would need to go; yet somehow I never thought it would.
Next year I’ll plan my summer days better … or maybe I’ll just lean back and appreciate the beauty like I’ve always done in years gone past.