My friend Alice had a picture of rose petals on her blog this evening.
It made me think of one of the bitter-sweetest end-of-summer songs I know: Tom Waits' Last Rose of Summer.

Though every year
it's very clear
I should be carrying on
But I can be found
in the garden
singing this song
When the last rose of summer is gone...
gone...
gone....

Yours, moving slowly, with the seasons,
N.