Autumn's First Weekend

Just like that it seems that Summer has left us.
The reset button has been pushed.
Cool air flows across the earth.
The sun rises crimson each morning in the sky.


Black birds flock together.
The katydids and cicadas have gone silent.


There are no longer vibrating wings hovering over the hummingbird feeders.
The last of the tomatoes are ripening on the vine,
and most of the green peppers have turned red.

All of this is to be expected...
all of these are signs.
Nature is slowing down, preparing to rest.
Autumn is just around the corner.


A day will come when I will no longer need a calendar to tell
what day it is.
I will have memorized the signs...
the subtle changes that come with each passing day of the year...
the phases of the moon,
the position of the sun as it rises above the horizon,
and the length of time it illuminates my world.


I will recognize the month by the birds who visit my feeders,
the blossoms beneath my feet,
or the insects who sing me to sleep.

Mother Nature has much to teach us...
we only need to open our eyes and our ears.


This weekend was cool and crisp -
as if Summer had taken her leave.
We were lucky enough to receive a few much-needed showers.
The water table has suffered these past few months.


I happily dressed in long sleeves.
The energy that disappears during the hot summer weeks,
returned to my body and I found myself super charged.

I busied myself in the kitchen making hot pepper jam...


and in the sewing room, making aprons for my Etsy shop.

I mowed and weeded... limited only by the hours of daylight in each day.
I love this time of year!

I had a visit from Tyler and his Mommy on Saturday.
It's no surprise he fell in love with the ducklings.


Their soft, downy bodies- tiny, useless wings- and spindly, duck-footed legs
overloading him with cuteness...
it was hard to tear him away!


We hiked in the woods, with the dogs, searching for signs of
the wee folk who inhabit the forest.



Most of his peers, he complained, have lost their imaginations...
I assume the result of too much video game time.
But, this boy clings fiercely to his imagination and loves to hear
stories of worlds unseen.


If nothing else, I hope to leave my grandchildren with a deep love
for nature...
and many happy memories of childhood spent on the farm.
Perhaps, one day, one of them will want to take our place
here in this magical land that we call home.





Comments

Anonymous said…
Those ducks are so cute!!
daisy g said…
We will be enjoying cooler temps this week and I couldn't be happier! So many garden projects to complete!

Glad to see that Tyler is still happy to use his imagination. I will serve him well, no doubt.
No grandbaby yet, I guess?

What a beautiful legacy you will leave for someone. It would make a wonderful family compound.

Enjoy the seasonal changes!
This N That said…
I just wrote a very similar post for this week. Yes, signs of fall are out there. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone in the family would continue your legacy. For now, I don’t want to think About BHA being any different than it is today. Love you
It's a tragedy when kids lose the ability to play "let's pretend."
Karen said…
I now have hummingbirds here (Pacific Northwest) ALL year round! I still can't believe it . . . sometimes the feeders freeze - and I read cutting down on the sugar will help with that. They nest in my holly tree:) Hearing them on my porch when it's snowing outside is just amazing! **it's been fun watching your 'little ones' grow up!
Susan from Manitoba said…
Ahh....a child who needs to read the "Flower Fairies of the Trees", by Mary Cicely Barker. An enchanting book! As children, my 3 sisters and I had all of her books and firmly believed that all the fairies did indeed exist on our farm.
Have you ever seen these books?
Lynne said…
Sweet boy your Tyler . . .
Happy he has kept his imagination.

How fast it seems to happen,
this move from summer sounds and sights.
I just finished mowing our yard and my thoughts
ran along the same line.
The grass has slowed its growing,
leaves are drier, changing colors, falling.
And yes, the outdoor sounds are changing too.

As I think back to last year we had some of our heavier snow, in November.
My oh my . . . how fast the years change, fly by . . .

For now let’s “enjoy the fragrance” of fall in all its many ways . . .