Autumn Is Almost Upon Us
The sound of geese migrating hit my ears early the other morning.
I was outside at dawn, watering some potted plants that had been neglected due to my work schedule. The brutal heat had taken a toll on them, and the flowers were crying out with a deep, deep thirst.
It was hot, already, at day break, and the weatherman promised another intense hot mark on the thermometer that day. August is such a rough month in the Deep South; no wonder it is referred to as “The Dog Days of Summer.”
Yet, there was that sound that I could not ignore; the geese calling to each other, as they flew South for the winter. Had they lost their collective minds? It was still summer, why were they flying South already?
One look around me told me that Autumn was creeping in, trying to hide itself, hoping I would not see it until it suddenly appeared in a blaze of yellow, orange, and red glory. But, if I looked around closely, the signs of the Fall season were growing more and more abundant.
After church, Sunday, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, as I was showing a friend some of the garden, that the Autumn Joy Sedum of mine, by the swimming pool, had a tint of red upon it. Not much, mind you, just a little frosting of it upon its large flower head, just a touch to let me in on the secret.
Last week, I noticed that the pink dogwood by my entrance garden bed had some yellow leaves upon it. Initially, I thought that it was due to lack of water, of a little drought. It took me a moment to appreciate that this tree, too, was letting me in on the secret.
Oh, and how could I have missed the mums down by the grapevines. Were they not, too, trying to convey its secret to me in a hushed hint of reds and oranges?
Well, the crabapple tree was not so secretive in its informing me, summer is leaving us, and fall is about to catch us off guard this year. The tree was already dropping small crabapples upon the ground.
Perhaps the biggest hint dropper, though, was the yellow and black American Goldfinch that I have spotted visit my home three times during the past two weeks.
One time, it stopped by an empty thistle feeder, and two other times, it perched upon a drying seed head of a purple coneflower, snacking upon its seeds.
Yes, Autumn is almost upon us. To me, that means a rejuvenated heart and spirit to attack my garden with vigor.
The heat of the summer often saps up my strength to garden.
Fall, though, leaves me with many end of the season chores. It also gives me a chance to pause and enjoy the colors of the season.
I hope you, too, take a moment to appreciate the beauty of Autumn, its many colors, as well as the business of the year, as animals scurry for food, and leaves drift and blow in the wind.
Before we know it, we will be inside for the winter months. I am NOT ready for that. Enjoy!