Wednesday, September 20, 2017

It Really Is Autumn!!




Astronomically, it happens every September.  This year the 
Autumn (fall) equinox is on Friday, September 22 at 4:02 pm 
in the Northern Hemisphere. Basically, the amount of daytime 
and nighttime are closely equal to each other (within minutes) 
and the days will be shorter with less light. Notice too the birds 
and butterflies migrate along the path of the sun which is 
starting to shift southward and is lower in the sky. Temperatures 
begin to drop, and chilly breezes blow.

                   It is the summer's great last heat,
                  It is the fall's first chill: they meet.
                          ~Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt




We are starting to see the changes as the trees and plants are 
slowing down. October will showcase the spectacular and vivid  
leaf changes, but you can spot some of that fall color right now. 
Warm and sunny days with cool nights accelerate the color 
changes. That's where we are, the in-between month, still hot 
and humid, and sometimes cool and rainy. Our gardens have 
peaked, the grass (unless there's a lot of rain), is starting to 
brown, and we're ready for change and autumn's delights. 



We look for color and find that in Chrysanthemums, Asters and 
of course autumn's symbol, the pumpkin. The orange shaped,
generally smooth, ribbed skin member of the squash family, 
which also includes (gourds), are what we carve into jack-o-
lanterns. There are many varieties and colors. Check out your 
garden center for beautiful fall displays.





          
                       Even is something is left undone,
                       everyone must take time to sit and
                       watch the leaves turn.
                                     ~Elizabeth Lawrence
                     
         
This is a great time to be outside to watch and observe. 
It's healthy and fun. Say goodbye to Summer and get 
out and enjoy what nature has to offer.








Thanks for stopping by. I'll be posting every 2-3 weeks instead
of every week for at least the next few months as we enter into 
into the holiday season.  Visit me on Instagram dianarn2627
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Wednesday, September 6, 2017

September




It's apparent that many bloggers have been waiting anxiously 
for the fall season, kinda like Fall TV. It started the last couple 
of weeks in August. Big hints being dropped about leaves 
turning yellow and feeling a chill in the air. They were ready to 
move on to Autumn decorating. I'm moving a little slower.




"Ah, September! You are the doorway to
  the season that awakens my soul..."
                                           ~ Peggy Toney Horton

Don't get me wrong. I'm not dreading the new season. I'm
anticipating it. The warmth and coziness, the colors of rustic
orange and red, and the foods and recipes that celebrate 
home. But give me a little time. Let me ease out of summer's
beauty. Yes, the brilliance of summer colors are gone, faded
by the light changing, end-of-season natural processes. 




By all the lovely tokens SEPTEMBER days
are here. With Summer's best of weather
and Autumn's best of cheer.
                                                  ~Helen Hunt Jackson

Things are happening. The sights and sounds of a new 
season are arriving. Have you heard the Katydids? A 
prediction of sorts from those soothsayers of nature; when you 
hear the sounds of the katydid, a frost will happen in about 
40-49 days. That seems about right figuring our first frost date 
for zone 6. And, as I walk in the reserve, I hear the chorus, and  
I think about what lies ahead. I like the seasonal changes. It's 
anticipation and excitement. Let me experience and feel all 
that glorious transformation.



For now, it's cleanup and putting away summer's attire, it's
harvesting, it's cutting back and pulling the old and faded. 
I'll keep my Zinnias and Tomatoes, they keep on giving right
now like old friends. Ron and I will grab that porch time as
much as possible, we'll bike till the cold wind puts us down,
and we'll share a glass of wine on the swing till we move in-
doors to sit in front of a fire....




Thanks for stopping by.
Visit me on Instagram, dianarn2627