Rhythms

There is nothing like a garden to keep you attuned to the rhythms of the year. I would really like to remain in denial about the rate at which the summer is passing, and yet it is time to plant the fall greens so that they'll be ready for September planting.

My neighbor's maple tree started changing color the other day; there are little bits of red poking in among the green here and there. Though, in this land of no seasons, that might not mean much. The trees seem to have their own ideas about when to drop their leaves around here, and it's not necessarily when the calendar would dictate. I wonder if it's governed by the sun? Maples in New England shed their leaves in September, but the lattitude is lower, so they get sun longer in the fall. It's certainly not based on temperature; this is the warmest week we've had yet...the only hints of frost have been wishful thinking, Norwegian snowflake patterns (candidates for the Oblivion colorwork band) and fruit smoothies.

I like feeling the rhythms of time passing, watching the seasons change, seeing projects run their courses. I'm sad to see the summer fading so soon; I have a lot to get done before the fall, and I'm running out of time.

I'm also sad that that's the first thing that comes to mind when I say that summer is drawing to a close. There were so many things we wanted to do this summer, and they just haven't happened. Life has been too busy to really stretch out into the long, lazy days. Maybe that should be our focus for the next month - to savor these last few weeks, to stop for a bit before winding up for the fall quarter. I'd like to let go of the need to "get things done" at work, and slip into a less frenetic pace for a while.

Fall is my favorite season, so I don't dread its coming. It is the season of comfort foods; squash and potatoes, soups and stews. It's also the season of comfort clothes; the cool weather returns, and the sweaters come along with it. It's the best time for knitting, curled up with a cup of tea, preparing for the winter to come. No, I don't dread fall. But I do wish summer would draw out just a little bit longer. I'm not ready for it to be over, just yet.

But, I suppose I had better get knitting on my sweater, and this weekend I will plant the fall greens. Have to stay in step with the seasons, after all.