by Toni Rodriguez

Created on: September 08, 2009   Last Updated: September 09, 2009

The end of Summer growing up in Central Ohio was always a time of anticipation. The hot muggy weather was on its way out and cooler temperatures were on the horizon. I could smell the change in the air as the leaves would begin to turn their gorgeous shades of yellow's red's and orange's. I knew before long the leaves would be falling from Autumn rains and I would be able to save more money from helping neighbor's rake their leaves's clean out the their flower beds and house gutter's. The thought of starting a new school year and seeing old friends and meeting new ones was exciting. Football games, school carnivals, and fund raisers were something my whole family participated in. As the night's got cooler the neighbor hood came a live. After home work and dinner most of the neighborhood kids would gather at the end of road for a game of kick the can or basketball. Some would bring their new school books to show off to the other's and still other's would do homework together and talk about their day. On the weekends Dad would always cut the grass. The smell of cut grass on cooler evenings would put a skip in my step. Running through the freshly cut grass sticking to my feet from the early evening dew was such fun and to this day brings back so many memories. Weekends were also a time of cooking out on the grill. During the summer months it would be too hot so I always looked forward to Mom and Dads cook outs. Next door neighbors would be cooking out as well and sharing good conversation across the fence's while the kids ran and played. The end of Summer also meant Mum's in the North. Mom would always purchase different color of Mum's to plant in the flower bed out in front of the house. The color's alone made you think of raking leaves and using them to stuff clothing for a scarecrow that would sit on the front porch. Roasting marshmallows on cooler evenings was always a treat along with knowing the Holiday's were just around the corner, trick or treating would be coming soon along with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Looking back, life was very different then, closer families, better schools, kids excepting one another, and slower times will always hold special memory in my heart of the end of Summer.

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