A Glimmer of Autumn
It is still hot here - highs in the 90s for the next week. I am ready for autumn - still officially two weeks away. Although there isn't much of a hint of fall in the air yet, I gleaned a bit of hope from the September entry by Jean Hersey in her book The Shape of a Year. Maybe this will give you a glimmer of cooler weather as well. I hope so.
The earth grows cool to touch, the first sumac leaves turn red, and a new school year begins. One morning the air is crisp and cool and sharp. The scent of wild grapes drifts on the breeze with the pungent odor of chrysanthemums, and bright red apples ripening. Rich harvests of peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, and golden pumpkins are everywhere evident. Great simmering kettles send their fragrances through home kitchens as shiny jars of jellies, relishes, and packages for the freezer stand row on row.
The air is like wine, squirrels gather hickory nuts, and the chipmunks we haven't seen for weeks are busy about something in and out of the weathered gray rocks on the wall where they live. Nature first hints delicately of winter ahead with a day that is chilly around the edges. Then we have Indian Summer weather. Next comes a cold night and morning with white frost scalloping the green strawberry leaves.
Something in us responds to the flaming foliage and falling leaves. We feel a surge of fresh energy as this new season is born. We too are ready for changes, and to move forward into new and untried areas of thought and action. A kind of preparation fills our days as we gather together our households and ourselves for new activities, new friends, new horizons.
I can relate to this post because I just helped my mom finish bottling her peaches and pears. I know it's autumn when the canner appears and the fruit piles up on the table. :)
ReplyDeleteMy neighbor recently spent an afternoon 'putting up' peaches and tomatoes. I can only hope that she might take pity on me over the winter and share a bit of summer with me!
DeleteI cannot wait for our first cold front and the first hint of cool in the air. Fall is my favorite time of year, even though we don't have much real fall here in Florida. This quote makes me long for it even more!
ReplyDeleteWith you, Kathy, I am awaiting cooler weather. I notice that the dogwood tree leaves here are beginning to turn a bit and I saw a string of wild geese flying south the other day, so surely autumn is on its way.
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