Entering a transition zone

We’ve reached September. Meteorological summer is behind us. It’s slightly more than three weeks until we reach the Autumn Equinox (Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 1:50 am CDT) locally. The time between meteorological seasonal change and astronomical change often brings a mix of each season’s weather. We’re looking at summer’s last hurrah(?) over the weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach between 90 and 100 Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Then, gradually back to seasonable temperatures over the next several days. Will this weekend bring the last 90 + degree days this year? Stay tuned!

It appears as though either my sourdough starter has succumbed to natural causes or I’ve managed to starve it to death. “Her” departure makes me sad, but it also provides an opportunity to start afresh, using formulas and techniques from Sourdough by Science. I’ve been doing a “mix and match” routine since I began, years ago, with 5 minute artisan bread and moved through to sourdough. Spending much of the hot weekend ahead inside an air-conditioned house putting together the basics of a fresh starter seems like a worthwhile way to celebrate Labor Day. I may even dig out some old folk music to play on the stereo system.

homemade artisan sourdough bread

Photo by J. Harrington

(Ir)regular readers probably know that we’re easing into my favorite season of the year. Asters in bloom and leaf color emerging; pumpkins turning into Jack O’Lanterns; flights of ducks, geese, Monarch butterflies and hummingbirds; plus the always exciting watch for wolly worm caterpillars, and the return of soup, stew and chowder season will be more than enough to keep me mostly satisfied from now until Thanksgiving and the rest of holiday season. May we all enjoy the beauty and pleasures of the season(s). To begin, here’s the lyrics to one of my favorite “folk” songs that celebrates autumn.

Urge For Going

by Joni Mitchell

I awoke today and found 
the frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky 
then it gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold 
and all the trees are shivering in a naked row...

I get the urge for going
But I never seem to go

I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down and winter is closing in

I had a man in summertime
He had summer-colored skin
And not another girl in town
My darling's heart could win
But when the leaves fell on the ground
And bully winds came around
and pushed them face down in the snow...
He got the urge for going
And I had to let him go

He got the urge for going
When the meadow grass was turning brown
And summertime was falling down and winter was closing in

Now the warriors of winter give a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dying all that lives is gettin' out
See the geese in chevron flight 
Flapping and racing on before the snow...
They've got the urge for going
And they've got the wings to go

They get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is falling down and winter is closing in

I'll ply the fire with kindling now
I'll pull the blankets up to my chin
I'll lock the vagrant winter out
And I'll bolt my wandering in
I'd like to call back summertime
And have her stay for just another month or so...
But she's got the urge for going
So I guess she'll have to go

She gets the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And all her empire's falling down
And winter's closing in.

And I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
And summertime is Falling Down.

********************************************
Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.