This was the last weekend of the summer. I would say that we were still recovering from our recent trip out west, but more accurate would likely be that I was still recuperating from it. My son seemed to be right back with his normal levels of energy, which is likely how it should be. He is obviously far younger, after all.
We had to read a book in a hurry, because he will have a book project due very quickly into the new school year. We had to finish reading Jack London's "White Fang." We are not quite done during the time of my writing this, although we have less than 20 pages to go, and we need to absolutely get it done, as I understand it, by Thursday, because the project gets assigned on Friday.
Obviously, this took up a huge portion of our free time this weekend. However, it was not the only fun activities that we engaged in. I made sure to take him swimming on Sunday and Monday, when the weather cooperated.
Yesterday, meanwhile, on his last real day of summer vacation, I decided that it would be nice to go to the Skylands Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, New Jersey. This park has been one of our family favorites since I was a young boy, and it still remains one of the truly greatest places that I know of in the Garden State. We got some fresh air, and enjoyed the beauty and serenity while reading more of "White Fang."
As ideal a way of saying goodbye to a great summer that was, I think! Some great memories that we shared together for the summer, from concerts (Robert Plant, Sheryl Crow, Ann Wilson, Jeff Beck, Paul Rodgers, Live, the Counting Crows, and the Smashing Pumpkins), to France winning the World Cup, to an incredible and unforgettable trip out west.
Now, summer is just about officially over, and for most people, it feels like it is realistically over. However, we both are looking forward to the new academic year, where more memories of a different kind will be made. He is a great kid, and I love him with all of my heart, and wish him the very best for the upcoming year. It still suns me that he will be in the 7th grade. To me, the 7th grade was the first year that felt sort of modern, if you will, where there was a clear divide between the place I had just left (the 6th grade) and a school experience that was much more like high school. My boy is certainly growing up!
Here are some pictures from our Labor Day weekend. I included Tuesday's visit to Skylands, since we both had some time to enjoy it, and it felt like an extension of the weekend:
During the last two days when it was still open, my son and I got to enjoy the swimming pool at my complex:
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