Second summer

I remember in March (ish) when all the snow had melted and it seemed like spring was on its way to Turku at last, it snowed half a foot again and plunged us back into winter. Sterling's päiväkoti teacher said it was "second winter," like that's a thing. (Maybe it's a thing.)

This week, I think we're getting second summer. It got alarmingly cold and grey in the middle weeks of August, to the point that even reverse-SAD me was disturbed. Was summer really that short? That's the sunshine with which I was to sustain myself during the long, cold winter? Yikes.

But here we are having a sunny and warm September. It's been beautiful the past week or so and it looks to be beautiful this next week, too. It's the kind of weather where you can feel that autumn is on its way - the sun is shining at more of a slant, some trees are thinking about changing colors - but it's warm and pleasant as long as you don't stay out after dark. It's the kind of weather where it's brisk enough to wear a coat, but only in the morning. Or you want to keep wearing your hoodie in the afternoon, but the sun warming you up through those layers feels soooo good.

I'm storing up the sunshine for real this time, during second summer. Autumn is going to start any day now.