"...but at sunset or at the hour of salut..."

"One moment longer", whispered solitude and the summer moon, "stay with us:
all is truly quiet now; for another quarter of an hour your presence will not be missed:
the day's heat and bustle have tired you; enjoy these precious minutes."
--Charlotte Bronte

Last night,

this little girl
and this little girl (who's growing up so quickly...you can't see that she has put six clips in her hair!)
joined me outside for a glorious evening in the backyard. It was just before seven o'clock...the sun was making it's descent, and we could see the faint moon as it waited patiently for evening to begin. But we enjoyed that last hour of the warmth of the sun. A few stolen moments that I will treasure up in my heart.

We spread a blanket on the ground, brought out a stack of books, a few balls, and various "necessary" items (Hadleigh kept dashing inside to bring "just one more thing".) We went swinging, watched Madeleine run after balls, and read books. We watched birds, played games, and sang songs. We colored the patio with chalk, played hopscotch, and told stories. I listened to the calls of the geese...and I actually had a few quiet moments to myself...to watch my girls play together in the grass and read a little bit of my magazine...though I didn't get to my book.

It was one of those evenings that you dream about. Perfectly delightful.

(And my boys were enjoying the evening out on the golf course. Enjoyable evening for all!)