There are these moments, turning points, and mostly we miss them because we're not quite paying attention, know what I mean?

I got a reminder of that early this morning when I looked out my window at the pond and saw the mist rising from it. This is the first morning this year that the water in my pond has been warmer than the air around it, that's what makes the mist. So, as of this day in this place summer is officially waning and fall is on its way.

Part of me finds this hard to accept. The gardens are at their most beautiful at this moment, the years I have spent planning, planting, nurturing, tweaking are paying me back with a wonderful show. I want it to go on forever.

Part of me accepts that this loss inevitable, it's part of living. To everything there is a season ...

Once upon a time I thought I would be young forever. Now, as I wend my way through my 50th year towards that big milestone birthday, I have to admit that's no longer true.

I don't mind that time has turned my hair white, but hate it that in a while I shall probably have to start wearing glasses.

I hate this feeling that my body will start to let me down, little bit by little bit.

I know I will mourn the inevitable end of my monthly cycles, even though a baby is the last thing I want at this stage of my life ... but I accept that to every thing there is a season.

I used to fear this 50th birthday. The year I turned 45 I was terrifically depressed. It was the year my child left home, closing one chapter in my life. On top of that, I was beginning the slippery slope towards 50 and somehow 50 seemed like it would be the end of even more things.

But then this extraordinary man came into my orbit, more than 30 years older than I. He is just so plugged into the adventure of life that gradually I came to realize nothing is over until you say it's over.

Sure, it's harder to keep your mind and spirit supple as you age. It's easy to get in a rut, but you don't have to accept the rut, not at all.

You can learn a computer language like html. You can learn to mangle your way through graphics programs. Heck, you can even throw up a web diary and learn a little bit about yourself if you care to think about your life a little bit.

Even better, through exploring the web diaries of others, you can be reminded that there are many, many ways to mosey through life, and that all these paths are valid ones.

Nope, you don't need to stay in a rut, not at all. Physical aging is inevitable, but you don't have to give up your sense of wonder.

When I asked my friend once how he manages to do it, how at 80 he keeps vital and curious, he told me that it's his belief that if you don't grow up by 50, then you don't have to grow up at all.

So I'm thinking all I've got to do is keep on being the goofy person I've always been until next May. After that, I won't have to worry about slipping into a second childhood, because hey, I never left the first one.

That's my cunning plan, and I'm sticking to it.