Longer Nights

Every August I am surprised as the nights get longer. Evening shrinks and daylight lags. Today Jim arose at 5:30 a.m. by moonlight, and I followed at 6:00. My alarm clock is the assistant fire chief, who tears down the road in his red pick-up. It sounds as if he runs through the bedroom.

I took my coffee to the front door to look around. A deer was trimming the bushes at the end of the driveway, and a rabbit was scarpering down the drive, spooking the deer but only briefly. Later the deer moved on to the apple tree and then off down the field. By that time it was light.