Late Summer on the St. Johns

August in Florida is hot. Really hot.

By this point in the summer, we know the routine. Mornings are for getting things done. Afternoons are for shade, cold drinks, and wondering why we ever thought black patio furniture was a good idea.

On the river, though, August has its own rhythm.

The mornings are often calm, with the St. Johns looking almost still before the heat settles in. A heron works the shoreline. A boat passes in the distance. Somewhere nearby, something splashes just loudly enough to make you look.

And then there are the afternoon storms.

You can watch them building across the water long before they arrive. The sky darkens, the breeze shifts, and for a few minutes everything feels suspended between sunshine and thunder.

When Summer Starts to Shift

Late summer in Florida does not exactly announce fall with crisp mornings and changing leaves. It is usually much more subtle than that.

The days begin getting a little shorter. The light looks different in the evening. Every once in a while, there is a morning that feels just slightly less humid and everyone immediately starts talking about fall.

It may still be 90 degrees outside, but Floridians are optimistic people.

We decide it is time.

Football starts back up. Fall festivals appear on the calendar. Pumpkins begin showing up on porches, where they will bravely attempt to survive until Halloween, and our thoughts start drifting toward the scents of the season.

Holding Onto the Last of Summer

There is something nice about this in-between season. We can look forward to what is coming without rushing the days we still have.

There are sunsets left to watch. River mornings left to enjoy. Warm evenings when nowhere sounds better than home.

Soon enough, the season will change. For now, we are happy right here.

Bare feet, river days, and nowhere you need to be.