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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