Half and half

There is another half of summer yet come, waiting. Or, summer is more than half-complete, finished; depending on your perspective. According to my summer calendar, 29 days remain. For O she has 31 days, W has 22, and B has 31 days left of summer. It’s cruel how fast summer moves.

halfandhalf
the team gathers for the final time this summer, as a storm clouds gather on the horizon

The past several days our weather has been interesting. Monday it was warm and muggy.  Tuesday the weather changed and it was cool enough to open windows and rely on nature to cool the house, and Wednesday evening was cool and getting out of the pool after my swim was a chilly experience. Thursday was overcast and rainy, and then Friday arrived. Friday arrived with excessive heat warnings and afternoon thunderstorms. O and I tried to make it to the pool, but the lightning and thunder closed the pool. Instead, we watched nature’s light show and decided to try again Saturday.

WGN_david-peters
photo courtesy of WGN Weather Blog – 7/18/2015

It was equally hot and muggy Saturday and it was W’s last day of summer football. The heat and humidity combine to make it feel warmer than it actually is and perspiring doesn’t help. Perspiration sweat sticks to you like a warm wet blanket, because the humidity (and dew point) is so high that sweat doesn’t evaporate quickly and cool the skin. But, if you’re outside you need to drink fluids, a lot of fluids – water and Gatorade. W and the team had a good day. They worked on their timing and teamwork. They played five games and W caught two passes. B and O came to watch the last two games in the afternoon just as the tornado watch warnings flashed across our phones.

Our coach is amazing, he can say and DOES say things we (parents) say all the time and the kids listen, or maybe sort of listen. Nevertheless, the players (our kids) listen to coach more than they listen to us; because a chance at late adolescent high school glory is on the line –winning the game or run at a state championship – he has led three state championships and two runners up as head coach, adding to his credibility. Yesterday morning, he was frustrated and out came…..

“The problem with you guys, is that you listen for three seconds, then do it your way. It doesn’t work, trust me, I’ve been there…..” Coach

I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve said that to W and O or how many times my parents said it me. It’s classic, AND it’s true. Eventually what we say will slowly sink in alo0ng with the hard lessons of failure. It’s half and half – experience and coaching.

At the end of the day, storm clouds gathered to the west and loomed over the coach and his players as he gave W’s last summer football speech. They listened. I was not listening, I was up on the hill looking down, but I know he ended on a positive note, he always does. There are 22 days before fall work practice begins and 41 days until the first game. It is up to them: the team and each player – listen and work hard, stay focused, and win.

the team gathers for the final time this summer....
the team gathers for the final time this summer, as a storm clouds gather on the horizon

W is off to Philmont Scout Ranch and 85 miles of hiking in New Mexico in less than four days, we’ll back by the lake Wednesday night. All of us are excited about the half of summer that remains.

Today is gonna be a great day, I know it and I can feel it, so, I’d better jump up, jump in, seize the day, and make it happen. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one half at a time, one moment, one step because the best is yet to come.

Which HALF of your summer is the best, the one that remains, or the half that is in the books?

This post is in response the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Half and Half. This week, share an image that has two clear halves, literally or figuratively. You could focus on composition, like me, and take a photo with an explicit dividing line (either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal). Or take the theme in other directions: zoom in on a pair of objects that together form a whole. Show two people whose demeanor or personality complement each other. Or bring into balance two opposing visual elements — light and dark, color and its absence, sharp focus juxtaposed with blurriness.

I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

2 thoughts on “Half and half

  1. I think you’d best come over to England for a bit. Not half and half here….. yet. My grandchildren’s summer break hasn’t even begun, though they don’t get as long as you. They go back to school the first week in September.

    Lovely moody shots of storm clouds.

    Enjoy the next half!

    1. The second half is off to a great start. I hope your grandchildren get time to enjoy their summer break and make THEIR days count with their grandparents. Life moves fast and if you don;t look around once in a while, you might miss it. I joined Blogging 201 and I don’t know what I am in for – it’s gonna be a great day, great week, and great half! Thank you for stopping by – have a great week yourself.

Thanks for visiting MtDC. How are YOU Making YOUR Days Count?