THE LONG HOT SUMMER

Unusual dry hot weather this summer in Central Pennsylvania has browned the lawns and wilted and dried flowers and vegetable plants. I am amazed to see my daisies and other hardy flowers have already gone to seed.

I keep forgetting that Autumn doesn’t officially begin until September 22 this year, so there's time to still enjoy the summer. Tomatoes are ripening on the vines, not as large as in past years, but still plump, rosy red, and delicious—especially with a dash of salt on them. Only our daily watering has saved them from withering on the vine.    

My first very colorful and multicolored calibrachoas plant, beautiful with red, white and blue blossoms, succumbed to the heat early this summer. I replaced it with a pot of impatiens and have my fingers crossed. Even my coleus plants are struggling, despite their shady location behind a wall of ferns.

What likes this weather? Our four hanging ferns on the patio. They are basking in the humidity of the day, thanks to daily watering.

If we’re lucky, we occasionally see a thunderstorm appear on the horizon teasing us with dark steely clouds and flashes of lightning. The parched ground is only too eager to take a drink. But the amount of downpour, although sometimes slamming down in a quick torrential rush, only offers a slight relief to the vegetation and the ninety-degree temperatures of each day.

Scott and I like to watch our feathered friends, so I keep two feeders filled with seed in the middle of our yard. The bird bath nearby takes a hit each day, and I have to clean and refill it almost daily. It’s a small price to pay for the show the birds put on when we eat our meals and watch them out the windows in our dining room. Sparrows, robins, finches, thrushes, woodpeckers, and many others keep us entertained with their antics.

I think this summer has been unique. I had been hoping to see it as a busy outside one. Then, I realized that the heat that drives us inside has a purpose. There is a time to rest and a time for action. This summer seems to be telling me not to hurry, but to slow down and take some time to rest… and just enjoy life.