The look of the forest around me is already starting to turn towards late summer. The early flowers have gone to seed. The tadpoles have turned into frogs. The color of the leaves has deepened from the bright green of spring to an emerald green. The days are noticeably shorter, and the angle of the sun is different.
Little signs of the season’s change are evident if you look for them. I look for them. I am always surprised at how quickly the changes are noticeable. The year has only four official seasons, though most people are aware enough of the natural world to notice that each of the 12 months has a rhythm that is particular to it alone. And even within those 12 months, the year marches on and changes are evident.
This time of year I can usually notice changes weekly, though overlap, for lack of a better word, exists. A week of extra hot weather or a few days of rain can make the routine of one week disappear (or advance!) more than will happen if that week’s weather is “normal.” Before August is over, the leaves will change again, turning from emerald green to a kind of dull, dusty green. Once that happens, fall and the brilliant color changes of fall won't be far away.
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3 comments:
Carolyn: Just two evenings ago, as I was walking up to close the gate for the night, I commented to Kali that the beautiful flowering dogwoods lining the parking lot were already showing distinct signs of turning color--they get kinda' yellowish this time of year. They're usually my first sign of the upcoming change of season, though I also noticed that same evening that a horse-chestnut tree (hidden amongst other trees and hence not as noticeable as the out-in-the-open dogwoods) also had developed distinctive brown, dried-up leaf edges typical of August, too.
Scott: I think that heat and no-rain through most of July was hard on the trees. i saw a yellowing tree this morning, too. And as much as I'm looking forward to autumn, the weather hasn't really turned in that direction--though having that heat wave finally break makes a normal temperature feel like the start of autumn already. Whew! i'm glad that's over!
The subtle changes as the year cycles round!
As to your question as to where I was moving:
I actually had two places. The condo at the coast was D's as he worked out of the Vancouver office for years. After he retired and we married we came into the interior of B.C. and bought ( at a very good price ) a small house his brother was building. The house really became our home and is where I am staying. Big city life is not for me. We kept the condo as long as we did as I make regular trips to the coast to visit my Mom. Now that I am single again, I stay with friends closer to where Mom is ... the70 minute drive, through heavy traffic, into the condo was too much of an extra burden for me alone.
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