Late summer

Late September. Strictly speaking, we should be starting to think about autumn by now. The first leaves are falling, the evenings are getting shorter and the nights cooler. And yet, just like every year, we’re not quite sure whether this is really the right time to get our autumn clothes out of the wardrobe again. I’m holding off for a bit longer. We might just be treated to a few more lovely summer days, and I can really make the most of them.

It’s precisely at the end of summer that a warm day has that little something extra. The diary is filling up again, schools have started, and work is back in full swing. And yet you can still sit outside comfortably, without a coat or jumper. Grab a table on a terrace. Go for a short cycle. Go for a walk in the woods or fire up the barbecue at home one last time, before it goes back into the shed.

Last Saturday was Neighbours’ Day. It was one of those days when you realise just how lovely it is to bump into one another outside. A cup of coffee in the street, organising something together, catching up with the neighbours. It’s often the little encounters like these that make a neighbourhood feel cosy and familiar.

Perhaps that’s the beauty of late summer. You know it won’t last much longer. And that might make you appreciate it just that little bit more – a long evening outdoors, an unexpectedly sunny day, or simply a good chat in the street.

Fortunately, in Apeldoorn we have plenty of space for that. In our town and villages, in the parks and on the Veluwe. There are plenty of places to spend a little time outdoors and enjoy a lovely day. So, whilst we still can, I’d say leave your coat on the coat rack for a bit longer, get your bike out of the shed or just sit and soak up the sunshine for a while.

Autumn will come in its own time, but first let’s enjoy a bit more of late summer.