Pope Benedict XVI wears a 'saturno hat', inspired by the ringed planet Saturn

Images are powerful things, even the simplest. This hat, for example.

Like the arrival of ripe raspberries, one can count on the appearance in July of some version of Pope in A Summer Hat. Last month I had but to glance on the paper from across the room, and knew the topic of the article. It was time for the Pope to vacation at Castle Gandolfo.

There's more message even than that. The hat says--lets the church say--its time for you, our flock, to vacation, to relax, have some summer fun. (OK, the half the flock in the northern hemisphere, anyway).

We're down to the end of Summer 2010. Take it in. Store up summer images, feelings, memories.