At Summer's peak #phenology

A few acorns have been dropping over the past few days. A hint of early Autumn? We'll see!  Several times over this last week or so, we've seen flocks of birds strung out on utility wires. Another sign of impending Autumn. We've decided to use the time of year and the Summer temperatures as an excuse to forego any serious yard work until things cool off some more.

acorns growing on oak branches

Photo by J. Harrington

All of a sudden, the number of hummingbirds battling around the nectar feeders has increased more than we recall ever seeing before. Soon, too soon?, hummingbirds and monarch butterflies will head South again, diminishing the colors in the landscape until Autumn's leaves dominate. Tomorrow is astronomical midSummer, halfway between Summer solstice and Autumn equinox. If seasons are shaped like bell curves, we're now at the peak and about to start the drop down a roller coaster hill.

alert hummingbird at nectar feeder

Photo by J. Harrington

More and more of the sand burs along our township road have grown their obnoxious, sharp-spined seed pods. We want to double check, but yesterday we think we noticed where one plant had grown up through the new pavement freshly laid on the road last year. That would be impressive and aggressive. Speaking of which, we're noticing more and more bees, hornets and/or wasps flitting about these days. It is the time of year that yellowjackets become more aggressive, according to the folks at KAXE.

We were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate and "peerless humanist," according to us and the Minnesota Humanities Center.

"You know, they straightened out the Mississippi River in places, to make room for houses and livable acreage. Occasionally the river floods these places. "Floods" is the word they use, but in fact it is not flooding; it is remembering. Remembering where it used to be. All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.
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"Writers are like that: remembering where we were, that valley we ran through, what the banks were like, the light that was there and the route back to our original place."⠀ -Toni Morrison⠀

Remember

By Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away, 

         Gone far away into the silent land; 

         When you can no more hold me by the hand, 

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. 

Remember me when no more day by day 

         You tell me of our future that you plann'd: 

         Only remember me; you understand 

It will be late to counsel then or pray. 

Yet if you should forget me for a while 

         And afterwards remember, do not grieve: 

         For if the darkness and corruption leave 

         A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, 

Better by far you should forget and smile 

         Than that you should remember and be sad. 

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