You may think it's still summer…

The critters have a different perspective on the topic…

Junior grazing on the front lawn in the middle of the day for the first time in months

You may think it's still summer.

The temps certainly seem that way. Here in Michigan we're in the upper 80's during the day, only getting down to 70 at night (which feels as warm to us as upper 90's during the day / upper 80's at night Florida weather feels to our thinner blooded southern neighbors).

Living on a horse farm you get a different perspective on the seasons

Most of the barn swallows left on the storm a few days ago. Their leaving is the official end of summer for me (and the start of serious fly and mosquito repopulation with the “eat-their weight-in-bugs-every-day” predators gone).

And 2 days ago for the first time in months Junior is grazing on the front lawn during the day instead of hiding from the sun and heat in his (relatively) cool aisle.

The horses start losing their summer coats with the turn of the summer solstice. After all, 14 layers of winter coat don't grow in a day!

Living in Florida I never understood the Memorial Day to Labor Day summer. Florida summer starts right around Spring Break for students from “up north" (you should see some of the lobster sunburns!) and ends between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

In Michigan the Memorial Day to Labor Day summer became very real to me. We've had snow in May and frost right after Labor Day.

And you could time the season by the barn swallows. The scouts would arrive mid-May with “move-in” right around Memorial Day.

We wind up with a barn swallow nest on nearly every rafter in the barn.

The southern migration also used to be right around Labor Day, except for a few youngsters who seemed to need remedial flying lessons.

Now both the move in and head out dates have shifted. Move in this year was late April, southern migration the first week of August.

I'm happy they're adapting…