Ah The Last Days...

...of summer are upon us, and the tension in the air over the coming of the fall is shall I say almost deafening. The songs of some of the visiting summertime birds have flown off to other climes, the crickets and other songsters of the night have cut back markedly on their incessant but pleasant chirping. So too are the approach of cooler temps mixed with the shorter days crippling in their own natural way. The tomato plants are beginning to yellow, and I am afraid the last tomatoes of the season are on the vines, same for the pepper plants, and the squash. I think too, I have sensed the last of the heavenly aroma of the Honey Suckle until next year (this year we had a treat and about a week or so ago it bloomed again - a first for us that late in the year). The rose bush has let its stem arch over, and last of the rose petals have fallen to ground. It is a time to start preparing for what is inevitably to come, and that probably has no better example than my Hermann's Tortoise which has already found some spot into which to dig itself in during the chilly nights, still coming out though to sun itself when it warms up enough. No it is not Fall yet, but the signs are that it is imminent. In fact, the last full day of Summer is today, and the new season begins tomorrow, though to me it seems as if, for the garden, it started weeks ago.

I must say, I love the fall and all it brings. The festive times and holidays that we will celebrate such as Halloween and Thanksgiving. The harvest of the last of the year's crops is almost upon us. There will be squash, tomatoes and peppers still to come from what is left in my garden. There will be apples a plenty in the markets from upstate NY, some of the finest Macintosh apples I have ever eaten come from NYS. There will be turkey, not a common meal until the fall or winter. There will be some baking of apple pie, and maybe apple strudel, and even some homemade bread by yours truly. There will be things of another nature like extra work raking leaves, but I guess that is part of the harvest too, for the compost pile. of course, there will also be the hunt. The deer season, squirrel season, and most other hunting seasons in NYS are soon to open (gray squirrel is already open). All part of the harvest, all part of living in touch with something people the world around have lost touch with. The harvest time is a good one indeed. When it is upon us through its end, I will enjoy some of the fine brands of brew that offer and Oktoberfest Beer; and I'll be sure to enjoy 1 or three as I watch the leaves lose their green, and display their other vibrant colors that have been hidden throughout the growing season. Yes Autumn is my favorite season, I hope you all enjoy it too.

All the best,
Glenn B