Late summer Saturday

This morning I attempted to sleep in, but my body is so accustomed to my workday wakeup time of 5:15am that it's really not possible to do it properly. I usually can doze for another hour or two, but I never go back into a deep sleep, plus the dogs start stirring around and wanting their breakfast before long. I don't really mind, because I rarely stay up late. I guess it's probably a good thing to have such regular sleep habits. 

For once I did most of my grocery shopping yesterday afternoon after work, so that's one less Saturday chore I have today. I do plan to go to a small local farm stand I just discovered recently for fresh vegetables and fruit. They've had wonderful heirloom tomatoes, fresh Romaine lettuce (locally grown lettuce is like gold right now with all the "diarrhea lettuce" making headlines around the country) and plenty of other goodies like sweet corn, peppers, summer and winter squash, and okra. For fruit they've had heirloom watermelons, plums, and even figs a few times. Last week, I bought a jar of pickled okra for the first time. I'd never tried it before but wanted to. I love all kinds of pickles, and I like okra in all its forms, so it's no surprise that I really liked it!

When I was at the grocery store yesterday I found some nice-looking raw green peanuts, so I bought two pounds. They're currently cooking in a large crock pot with plenty of water and salt. Fresh hot boiled peanuts are a real treat every once in a while. That probably sounds strange to at least 75% of you reading this! As far as I know only people here in the South eat them, but they're very, very tasty. Especially if you like salt! :)

Beyond going to the farm stand and making a simple supper later on, today is going to be for relaxing. The past couple of weeks at work have simply dragged even though I've been very busy. It's still hot here (although now more "ordinary" hot than "extreme heat wave" hot) and it continues to sap my energy and motivation. I'm craving crisp, cool days and chilly nights where I can finally shake off some of the torpor. September can't get here soon enough!

A change in the air

It's subtle, for the most part. A shift in the angle of light in the afternoons, slightly later sunrises. The green of the vegetation outside my window looks older, tired. Several days of lower humidity even though it's still hot. Summer won't last forever.

Some signs are NOT subtle. I took these pictures at Walgreen's and Sam's this weekend:

As much as I look forward to autumn, in my opinion it's way too early to be thinking about Halloween. But that's retailers for you. Always on to the next opportunity to sell us something. 

Just another hot August afternoon

It's really hot out today. Dangerously hot, to be precise. The heat index has been up around 107 degrees every day for a week. Monday night we got a massive thunderstorm complete with high winds and torrential rains, but did it cool things down any? No, it did not. Going outside, at any time of day, is pretty miserable. It's like putting a hot, wet towel over your face when you step out the door. Not my favorite time of year by any means!

Work is still going well. It's been a real adjustment going from such a busy, stressful environment as my last school to such a different place, though. I think I must have a little PTSD from last year, because I keep finding myself waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Things are so placid and well-run and just...easy...that it makes me nervous sometimes.

 I know that sounds weird. It's hard to explain. It's like my nervous system is all keyed up and ready for stress to explode around me, and when it never does that anxiety/energy has nowhere to go. There are long stretches of time with nothing pressing for me to do. It's disconcerting. For six years I did the jobs of at least two people and the pace never, ever let up. Now I have a normal (one person) job. No one dumps extra tasks on me or takes advantage. (Quite the opposite, in fact. The other office people/teachers/staff go out of their way to be kind and to not impose on me or my time).  I have a great deal of freedom and a quiet, private office. There's only so much to do, even when I help answer phones and such, and it seems strange not to have to operate under a sense of urgency all the time. As to the bookkeeping part of my training (the only challenging thing) that's coming along just fine. I'm learning a lot as situations come up that require my input, and it's not nearly as complicated as I initially imagined it to be.

So, a bit weird, but all good. Since I'm off early (as usual these days) and Gregg works late tonight, I'm considering a short nap. My bedroom is cool and dark, I have a book to read*, and a quick snooze sounds like just the thing for a hot afternoon. 

*My book club decided to read a classic this month: East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I'm enjoying it so far.

August in the countryside

This morning I went to a see a friend who lives out in the country. It's a pretty highway and I often want to stop and take pictures on the way. Today I noticed bales of hay all rolled up in the fields as well as soybeans and corn ready to be harvested, so I pulled over onto a dirt road and took a few. 

It's sweltering hot again today, a typical August afternoon. I can't wait for September to get here.

Endings

 Leaves fall early in the autumn wind.

Butterflies are already yellow with August

A pair flies over the grass of the West garden.

Seeing them hurts my heart.

Li Po, Chinese poet of the 8th century, "The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter"

Summer is over. No matter the temperature, by the time we get to August it's obvious that the season is changing. It's getting dark much earlier. Everything that's green outside is beginning to look tired. A few leaves are starting to change color and some are even beginning to drop. The hummingbirds seem frantic as they swarm the feeders, devouring the sugar water as they put on weight and prepare to fly South for the winter. I wonder if, during the long winter months, they ever dream of their homes here in North America that they'll be returning to next Spring? Do hummingbirds dream to begin with? I know that they return to the same places year after year, and the ones we see at our feeders right now are likely to be back by next April. 

I think of the start of seasons a little differently than most people. Here is an explanation from one of my favorite seasonal writers, Waverly Fitzgerald:

Americans are accustomed to dating the beginning of a season from the solar holidays. We say that Autumn begins on Autumn Equinox. But in medieval England, autumn actually began on Lammas (August 2).

The clearest evidence for this ancient system of dividing the year comes from the old names for Yule and the summer solstice. The Christmas feast in England was always known as the Midwinter feast. Likewise, June 23 was called Midsummer's Eve, because June 24 was Midsummer's Day. If June 24 is the middle of the summer, then the summer must begin at the start of May. This makes August 2 the first day of autumn, November 1 the first day of winter and February 2 the first day of spring. There is good evidence for these older seasonal markers as there are clusters of ancient religious and political holidays that occur around these dates.

I have been using this new understanding of the seasons for several years now and find it much more satisfying. In Seattle, buds are apparent on the trees and a few crocuses are evident by February 1. The spring equinox is the height of the flower explosion: Daffodils, tulips, azaleas, some rhododendrons, cherry trees, plum trees, quince, hyacinths, etc. Right around May 1, the hawthorn (or may) trees begin to flower, along with lilies of the valley and lilacs.

At first I thought that August 1 was too early to consider the start of Autumn. In Seattle, we often have our most glorious sunny days in August and September and the leaves don’t begin to turn (or fall) until October. But what has changed is my understanding of Autumn. I now see it as the time of harvest rather than the time of falling leaves, which seems an appropriate signal of the approach of winter, which begins with the gloomy days of November and continues through until February 1.

I like to divide each season into two parts, for instance, Early Autumn (Aug 1 to Sep 22) and Late Autumn (Sep 22 to Nov 1). Early Autumn in Seattle is a time of sunshine and abundance, although the dark falls sooner and the nights are cooler. Late Autumn has the feel of the more traditional Autumn, that sense of scurrying around trying to gather nuts before the winter begins. The leaves will all be gone from the trees by the end of Late Autumn. My mentor Helen Farias liked to use the old word “-tide” for these segments of the year. Right now, we are beginning Lammastide.

By this old way of reckoning, here at the end of August we're only 3 weeks away from Mid Autumn, the autumnal equinox. Even though it will be a few weeks yet before the heat really begins to subside in South Carolina, you can still sense a change in the air. This year I'll be especially glad to see the arrival of a new month, a new season, and a new epoch in my life. August 2020 has been full of distress and sadness in this house, and it feels like it's time to let go and start moving on. It's a wistful and bittersweet feeling.

Last four!

I'm down to my last four days of summer vacation. When my husband was leaving for work this morning he said, "Better make 'em count!" and he's right. I'll be craving some time off in a month or two once we're back into the full swing of things.

Working the first three days of this week during registration was super easy--not like my regular job at all. Sitting in the gym with a book, selling a t-shirt or two here and there, was actually pretty fun. And I ended up selling over $2000 worth of shirts so it definitely wasn't a waste of time! I got to meet a couple of new teachers and the two new additional guidance counselors joining us. I spent an hour catching up with the band director and hearing about his summer wedding and honeymoon trip to Holland. The science teacher/4H leader/beekeeper that I buy eggs and honey from gave me some advice on my plans for landscaping our small property (I want to make it pollinator friendly) and that was an interesting discussion. Here's a new photo of the zinnias her students planted in front of the school last spring, still going strong in August:

I must plant some of these lovelies here at home next year. They're bright, cheerful, and seem to require very little in the way of care. Plus, the bees and butterflies love them!

On a less cheerful note, the office assistant who spoke Spanish has found a new job and will not be coming back this year. That puts me back in the hot seat when dealing with our many, many Hispanic parents in the front office. I've neglected working on my Spanish this summer and need to spend the next week before the students return brushing up on it as much as possible.

Yesterday afternoon when I got home it seemed like our air conditioner wasn't working very well (again). It was 80 degrees in the house (82 in a couple of rooms that are always warmer) even though the thermostat was set on 76. Folks, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I nearly had a panic attack over it. I'm not sure if I blogged about the last night of the last time our a/c went out, but it was...dramatic. It was during a sweltering heat wave, the temperature in the house that night was 87 degrees, there was no breeze to catch in the open windows, and the humidity was so high the air felt like thick soup. We had brought in our portable a/c and had it running in the den to try to get some relief, but it wasn't helping much at all. Sleep was impossible. And then about 1:30am I discovered the portable unit was leaking water all over the rug, which led to a mad dash to move furniture, take up the rug and move it to the porch, mop up the water, and resolve the leakage issue so we could continue using the only source of cooler air we had. "Miserable" doesn't even begin to describe it. I suppose I'm a little traumatized by it all. Thank goodness that last night the a/c cooled down to where it should be. What a relief! I suppose because it got so hot outside yesterday it just had trouble keeping up in the late afternoon. I'll be glad when summer is over, honestly. I hate being sweaty all the time. I hate worrying about the a/c. Next summer, we need to just replace the damn thing and be done with it.

Well, off to find a way to "make today count". :) I tried to sleep in, but Marco had other plans. After only three days of me working again he decided getting up at 6:30am is now our "thing". The dogs have already gotten up, eaten breakfast, and are now starting their midmorning naps. What a life, huh?

The crepe myrtles are still blooming, too.

Down the Long Hill

August 18th and 19th

Down the Long Hill

"Sunrise comes later, now, and dusk creeps over the hills earlier in the evening. Reckoned from late June, when the Solstice marked the year's longest day, we have already lost an hour and a half of sunlight. Another month and the Autumn Equinox will be here and daylight will equal darkness, briefly. The year has turned, noticeably; and Summer is walking down the long hill toward Autumn and the Winter beyond.

On a scorching August day such a change seems to run counter to the season as we now know it. Now, we feel, as the hot humidity lies heavy upon us, is the Summer's peak. If the season is already moving downhill, why do the temperatures remain here on the summit? The reason is that it takes the Earth a time to warm up, and that it does not cool off in a moment. Any housewife knows that if she is going to cook a roast or bake a pie she must give her oven time to get hot; and that even though the oven is turned off before the cooking is done it will retain the heat long enough to crust the roast or scorch the pie. So with the Earth. It took from June to August for it to warm up, and it will take till late September for it to cool off again.

But the trees show the true season, and so do the grass in the meadow and the tall weeds at the roadside. Early apples begin to ripen. Daisies fade and goldenrod shows impatient yellow. New growth is slow; seed pods fatten; the soft growth of May hardens toward maturity. Dog days are virtually over. Another Summer seeps away as dusk settles in the valleys a few minutes earlier one day after another."

Hal Borland
"Sundial of the Seasons"
August 1947

August afternoon

I forget how much I love sitting outside on summer afternoons. It's been so hot that staying in the house all day long can get to be a bad habit.

Even on a hot afternoon, the deep green shade of the backyard can be surprisingly pleasant. Especially with a good breeze blowing.

There are several young walnut trees for shade. If I take a book and a cold drink out to sit under them, Ginger always follows me and stretches out at my feet. It's too hot for George and he refuses.

I also went shopping at the tiny farm stand down the road and bought the most beautiful peaches and plums. They're making the dining room smell like heaven.

It's a lovely August afternoon!

Waiting out August

What a soggy, gray, depressing month August has been. I'm ready to see the end of it.

We've had record rain this summer, and I blame some of my current funk on the endlessly wet and gloomy weather. While the usual August heat hasn't been as much of a problem this year, I'd happily trade hot dry sunshine for this sodden sorry mess! I especially dislike the constant feeling of dampness that has crept into the house and always seems to be on my skin. And the swarms of mosquitoes outside. Ugh.

And my job search seems to be stalled. I've only found one opening that was even remotely interesting. I went all out to apply. I sent my application and a resume (the resume I spent hours and hours revamping) by both email and "snail" mail, with carefully written cover letters. I even had one of my references send a nice letter of recommendation for me. Still, I haven't heard anything back, and I don't know if I will. All I can do is wait and keep my fingers crossed. Nothing else has shown itself yet. I feel stuck, and that along with the awful weather just makes me tired. All I feel like doing lately is taking naps (often with a book in hand) and moping around the house.

So I'll be glad to see August end, and the arrival of September and true fall. Hopefully the weather will dry up and the sun will shine, and it will be cooler either way. Some fresh air and exercise will  probably do me good, once I can stand to go outdoors again! As for the job situation, it looks like I'll just have to be patient. Maybe the changing season will bring some fresh opportunities to the local job market. And I can't wait for all things autumn this year--apples and pumpkins and fall flowers, scarecrows and harvest festivals and chilly nights.

Anyone else ready for fall?

Sunshine! Jungle!

After days and days of overcast skies and rain, the sun is finally shining! Not only that, but the weather is perfect, absolutely perfect. It feels and looks like an early fall day, with blue skies, a cool breeze, and moderate temperatures.

Wait, is this really South Carolina in August?!

We never have such moderate temperatures this time of year. Never. A day with weather like this at the backside of August is like a rare gift. Of course, this means I can no longer put off the inevitable.......the backyard.

 Thanks to almost two weeks of getting some rain almost every single day, our grass is well past ankle high. When it won't stop raining, you can't really mow. It just kept getting thicker and taller and there was nothing to do but watch.

 The hedges are out of control, in some cases blocking the view from our windows.  Poison oak is advancing along the back fence line, just daring anyone to come try to do something about it. Waist high weeds are dotted throughout the lawn. Everything is a big mess. And I'm the only one in the house cleared to do yard work this summer.

It's going to be a bitch.

Thank goodness for the sunshine and cool temperatures as I battle back the jungle to reclaim our backyard. If I don't return by sundown send a search party. God knows what's lurking out there.

August already!

The last couple of weeks have been busy for me. I have had doctor and dentist appointments, extra projects at work that needed attention, and the everyday housework/cooking/cleaning that never truly gets "done" at all.

Still, it's been a good couple of weeks. I finally talked to my doctor about the lifestyle changes I'm trying to make and the weight I need to lose. He has helped me pull together a plan to make things happen, and has given me a prescription to help me get started. I am logging my food intake, walking 1-2 miles every morning, and drinking lots of fresh cool water. I have a follow up appointment in 8 weeks to check on my progress, and I am hoping to do myself proud! It feels great to finally feel motivated!

Work is going well. I am feeling more confident in my position and have been working extra hard to get things done and to be an asset to my new team. I think this is the result of feeling better physically. I know that daily exercise helps me to have a positive outlook and less negative emotions.
Years ago, when I exercised (ran!) daily, my stress level stayed under control much better than when I allowed myself to get very overweight and sedentary. I hope I can continue to slowly improve my habits with very little backsliding this time. Being fit and healthy not only improves my stress level, but also my job performance, self esteem, relationships....everything, really. I can't wait until it's cool enough outside that I can exercise more. In August in SC the only time you can stand to go outside and walk is at sunrise or after dark...unless you want to risk a heatstroke!

It's still very hot here, and my garden is officially done. My tomatoes didn't produce much of anything this year. I was disappointed, but we have had nearly record high temperatures and very little rain this year. No one seems to have had a good garden this year. I am getting ready to pull up all my dead plants, weed, and work on making the little garden bed ready for a fall planting of mums and pansies.

I am beginning to look forward to fall. I'm already seeing the first fall magazines, candles, and decor out in the stores! It seems a bit strange to think of it being almost fall when it's 100F out, but it really is just around the corner. The sun is beginning to set noticeably earlier, and the angle of the sun is changing. Soon enough (I hope!) the daytime temperature should become more comfortable which is my favorite thing about summer ending!