Whenever I see the blackberries on the side of the hill on my street, I get mixed feelings.  I’m excited to have such wonderful fruit growing almost on my doorstep and I’m sad, because it means summer is coming to a close.  Usually around the middle of August the blackberries are ripe and ready to be picked.  Blackberries are summer’s last hurrah.

Ripe blackberries in Kirkland

I also noticed my Japanese maple, which is a gorgeous red when in prime season, is beginning to lose some of its color and its leaves are becoming green.

Japanese Red Maple Losing its Color

Wasn’t it just the Fourth of July?