It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over. I didn’t even realize it until the other day when I saw a bunch of winter gloves on display at the Superstore. Are they trying to tell us winter is coming early this year? Who needs Wiarton Willie to predict the weather when you’ve got a shelf full of gloves?

Seeing those gloves really caught me off guard—it was like a sudden reminder that summer is winding down. The days are getting shorter and cooler, and it’s time to slow down and savour the last bit of summer. Maybe we should take a moment to stop and smell the flowers before it’s too late.

As you take a look around, you’ll notice an abundance of blooming flowers in the open fields surrounding Aurora. However, the truth is, you might want to reconsider stopping to smell the flowers. I had a sudden awakening of my own when I examined some of my macro shots of a beetle on a flower.

Back in June, we decided to hike the Copland Park trail system off Aurora Heights Drive. It was a pleasant walk through what some might call a forest, but it felt more like a trail winding between subdivisions with trees all around. We could even hear people chatting in their backyards as we walked by.

Now, about that beetle in the photo—it’s no more than 5 mm long, including the little appendage attached to its head. The tiny insect next to it? Only about 1 mm in length. This is why you might want to think twice before taking a big whiff of any flower—you never know what tiny creatures you might inhale along with the pollen.

Sometimes, these sudden awakenings don’t work out in my favour. I’ve spent my whole life enjoying the scent of flowers, but now I might have to resist the urge to get too close.

COMMENTS

Max Coutinho said: August 21, 2012 at 14:37

“That is why I never smell flowers. Hey Anna, The picture is absolutely gorgeous. I am looking at a drawing authored by Matthew: he is into superman now, eh? So cute. Just enjoy the rest of your summer and forget about the signs of fall for now. Cheers”