Last Shades of Summer

They are symbols of summer as vacation time draws to a close this Labor Day weekend.

Soon, the brightly colored accessories that afford shade from the sun will be replaced by more utilitarian designs intended to ward off inclement weather.

But umbrellas--the word is derived from the Latin word umbra, meaning shade--are more truly part of a California summer than winter.

For now, yellow beach umbrellas still adorn San Buenaventura State Beach.

Multihued canopies arc toward a dappled sky.

Beach-goers battle the wind, fighting one element in their effort to find protection from another.

And Maria Ramirez remains grateful that her parasol beats back the sun as she walks past a weathered fence on an Oxnard street.

But like vacations, the colors of a shimmering summer will soon fade from sight.