These last days of summer always make me feel a bit bittersweet. But it’s been a good one. Travis turned 12 a couple of weeks ago and still likes to hang with me and Bry.

We spent the last few days in the desert–swimming, mostly. Temperature was 120 degrees at 3 p.m., down to 95 at night. Last night at eight-something, after dinner at the Blue Coyote and a stop at Vons where a checkout woman recognized Brian–went to high school with him, actually. She said, “Brian?”–we went to the pool. Night surrounded the aqua pool with pockets of underwater light and a quarter moon burned yellow, sinking into the San Jacinto Mountains. Standing in the water, swimming around, Brian and Travis threw a ball back and forth. I lay back on a chaise longue and watched them, and watched the sky, pocked with stars.

They got out for a moment.

“There’s the tail of Scorpio,” said Brian. We three looked up.

I like novels and stories that take place in the desert. My friend Allison has written one and we’re hoping an agent bites.

Cicadas during the day, crickets at night.

Has anyone ever seen a cicada?