SEPTEMBER -  by Helen Hunt Jackson

The golden-rod is yellow; The corn is turning brown; The trees in apple orchards With fruit are bending down. By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather, And autumn's best of cheer. The gentian's bluest fringes Are curling in the sun; In dusty pods the milkweed Its hidden silk has spun. But none of all this beauty Which floods the earth and air Is unto me the secret Which makes September fair. The sedges flaunt their harvest, In every meadow nook; And asters by the brook-side Make asters in the brook. 'T is a thing which I remember; To name it thrills me yet: One day of one September I never can forget.   From dewy lanes at morning The grapes' sweet odors rise; At noon the roads all flutter With yellow butterflies.
Helen Hunt Jackson, 1830 -1885, was an American poet and  writer who became an activist for improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government.                                                           ~ * ~
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THE DELIGHTFUL DAYS OF AUGUST

The month of August once kicks off its first day with an ancient festival called Lammas Day. Celebrated on August 1st by early Christian communities, it marks the start of the wheat and grain harvest, giving thanks for the first crops. Its name comes from the Old English words hlāfmæsse, meaning "loaf-mass," because people baked bread from the new grain and brought it to church to be blessed. 

 

Besides Lammas Day, The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated on August 9^th’; National Aviation Day on the 19^th; and Women’s Equality Day, which celebrates the 19th Amendment, on August 26^th. Lastly, the month of August invites us to relish the last joys of summer. 

In Pennsylvania, August is usually hot. Temperatures can range from 70 to 80+.  If the rainfall is also favorable, our gardens are filled with mature vegetables to harvest: squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet corn, and more. 

                                                            

As part of a farm family growing up, I was always in awe about the largeness of our garden. My mother both canned and froze the produce. We had learned quickly not to tell her that we were bored. Those words would send us outside with a trowel, hoe, or hand cultivator to weed a row of onions or corn or whatever vegetable she decided needed care after peering out the kitchen window at the garden. 

 

I often enjoyed the task. It was an effortless one which allowed me to daydream while tiny insignificant weeds were laid to rest in the sunshine and wilt. I also make a connection with nature as I watched the plants grow. It brought a quiet sense of patience and inner peace-- and self-satisfaction to see a clean, weed-free row evolve when I was finished.

  

 I was the child who disliked inside work like sweeping, dusting, and cleaning. There was something magical about outdoor work where a gal could be alone and conjure up her muses. Although I will admit, I also liked ironing for the same reason—entering la, la land in my head.     

When signs of autumn start to sneak up on the horizon, I become a little melancholy realizing the long hours of daylight will fade once September draws near. 

But until then, I’m overjoyed to be outdoors with the plants, the birds, and the bees. . . and those delightful summer days of August.

                                     

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MIDSUMMER HAS ARRIVED

The Fourth of July celebrations have passed, but midsummer days have arrived to give us the “good ol’ summer time” we look forward to. Often called blueberry month, July is the heart of summer in Pennsylvania. Days are long and evenings pleasant. 

The solstice has also passed. Even though we know we’ve begun our long slide downhill to the short light days of December, we have much to enjoy. On the hillsides and fields, fresh hay drying in the heat of the sun is fragrant and sweet. Roses, lavender, honeysuckle and dianthus are also nature’s delightful perfumes spilling out into the air. 

                                        

There is movement and activity around us. Birds flutter in the bushes. Squirrels and chipmunks scamper over the ground. Swallows swoop and dive to catch insects in flight. Once darkness falls, fire flies dance above the ground putting on nature’s evening light show while bats take flight to snap up the pesky mosquitoes hovering in the air. 

July also brings plentiful fruits and vegetables. Berries have ripened and are ready for picking—blackberries, blue berries, raspberries, and wild strawberries. Apples, peaches, and pears are swelling on tree boughs. Vegetable gardens flourish, and those green beans and tomatoes we all anxiously waited for have finally arrived. But get ready. squash will overrun the land. Soon gardeners will try to pawn those zucchinis off on every neighbor and visitor they meet. They might even end up unannounced on your doorstep! 

Ah, yes. It’s midsummer in July and time to enjoy the height of the season while we porch or patio sit, enjoy our favorite beverage. . .and watch old man sun sink below the Pennsylvania mountains.

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FINDING LOVE IN PINE VALLEY  

 

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