On the End of Summer

You know it’s the end of summer when—

• The boxes of blueberries at the supermarket are half the size and twice the price.
• The apples are really crisp.
• Your daily walk must be completed before dinner if you want to do it while it’s still light.
• You fill garden refuse bags with all the plants you’ve had to cut back rather than with weeds.
• You receive your first seasonal notice of a coat sale.
• Halloween merchandise fills the shelves of the CVS.
• Mums fill the shelves of the garden store.
• You wonder which of the new TV shows you will waste your time on.
• Sports talk starts to focus as much on football as baseball.
• It’s too cool to eat supper on the patio.
• Previously silent frat houses are holding beer pong parties.
• College freshmen walk around in packs discussing their course schedules and the size of their dorms rooms.
• You can’t find a parking space anywhere near Harvard Square.
• At 2:30pm SUVs idle outside of the local elementary school
• The gym is no longer quiet.
• You pull the quilt up at night.
• You can’t use hot weather as an excuse not to do chores.

What marks the end of your summer?