It’s getting darker way up here in the Northwest. And it’s going to keep getting darker, and darker, for another two months before the tides turn.

And I’m loving it.

That’s why this piece, Ready for Rain by Lee LeFever, resonated with me so much when a friend of mine linked to it on Facebook a few weeks ago. LeFever sums up the frenetic feeling in the air all summer–the drive to see everyone, do everything, make the most out of every gorgeous expansive day.

I’d heard people out here on the Peninsula talk about that phenomenon before, but this summer I really felt it–with our  relatively diy wedding, at our home, as the culmination of a packed-full summer.

Now we are waking up to mornings thick with fog. It’s almost hibernation time; time to curl up by the fireplace with a cup of coffee and feel no guilt for not exploiting the day. Peaceful hikes in the woods with no one else around. The thickest, warmest Pendleton blankets, piled high. And zero regret over parties missed.

Last night we went to a grill-out. It was drizzly and getting dark and we considered skipping it. I’m so glad we didn’t. Summer gatherings are a dime-a-dozen. The kind of cozy companionship you get from eating grilled salmon in the dark under a little shelter in the rain with a few good friends–it’s something special. All the moreso because it’s not every day.