Summer's End

It’s that time of the year when you know summer has given up. You want to cling on to it but the nights are cool, sometimes cold. Two nights over the holiday weekend our furnace came on and my husband didn’t say a word. You know it’s really cold then!

The leaves have started to turn at the very top. I kept saying they were turning because they were dry, just to postpone the inevitable. The high pitched bug that you hear constantly at our house is a sure sign of fall. Although it gets on your nerves once in awhile you know it’s just part of the passing of summer. Usually, this time of year I am ready for fall but not this year. It has been kind of a crazy summer, weather wise. It was either too hot or too cold. Every time we had the family over for a picnic it was cold. If I have to wear jeans during the summer, you know it’s cold!

Did everyone enjoy their summer? If you didn’t, shame on you. Everywhere you looked there were festivals, party’s, musicians playing everywhere, Art shows, Air shows, including hot air balloons. It was a great summer for those who took advantage of it. We went to the traditional end of the year fireworks display. The fireworks were very nice. I made it to the flea market for the first time this year and again bought someone’s junk that I didn’t need.  A couple of deep blue bottles, one had held Evening In Paris. I used that perfume when I was a teenager. Also purchased antique canning jars, well at least the lids were and a sweet pepper plant that is a beautiful, bright orange color.

I made a purchase for next years rose garden. We will have a fairy garden. This will include miniature fairies, along with a fairy castle. I expect it to become a hobby that will continue through the years.  I have the castle and one green fairy, along with a little green turtle. I’m thinking of pretty colored stone, possibly green or pink.

So I will be putting away the summer furniture shortly. My husband will be winterizing the pool and covering it and the air conditioner will be covered on the inside. I will hang the heavy drapes to keep the cold out and move the furniture to make sure there is room for the Christmas tree when the time comes. There’s too much to accomplish during the holidays to start moving furniture around. I will be picking some ornamental grass and placing it around the house for a fall look. Also, spray painting some pine cones and other plants that will enhance the fall season. Placing heavy duty rugs at the entrance to keep the wetness and leaves out.

I will be digging the hole to bury my rose trees at the end of September. The windows will go back on the chicken coop. I could tell the chickens were complaining this morning.  It has been around forty four degrees every night for a week. The pumpkins are ready to harvest and I have a ton of grape tomatoes that are just great for snacking.

Although I am not quite ready for the fall season just yet, I do enjoy fall. The bright leaves, the crisp, cool mornings and evenings. The fall decorations outside including, the scarecrow, the fall wreaths and the corn husks tied to the front light pole.

We are still taking our daily walks through the woods and pasture. The smell of goldenrod is overwhelming and allergies are at a peak. We have been watching two mushroom grow for five days and they reached almost fifteen inches around before turning black. We disposed of them by digging them up and throwing them away in the woods. We hear the Blue Jays more and more. My husband actually saw a butterfly using the butterfly box.  I’m not sure if it was too warm or too cold.  Nice to know it is getting some use. I don’t like the grass in the morning because it is so wet.  Good thing my slip on garden boots made it through the summer. They will have to be replaced next year because they have a hole in each shoe. They are good for usually one year only. I do get my moneys worth out of them. I don’t think there is a day that goes by that they aren’t on my feet for at least part of the day.

The kids start back to school tomorrow and it will be extremely quiet around the neighborhood. Although, we will hear the school buses traveling past in the morning and reflect on the years that we anticipated meeting new friends and reacquainting with our old ones.

From our backyard to yours, enjoy what is left of the summer because soon it will be a distant memory!