Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Ramblings


I’m feeling a bit out of sorts tonight. All our sons have made it up to the lake this summer and I am eternally grateful for the wonderful, quality time we had with each one. One of our daughters-in-law made it, and our two grandsons. All in all, a perfect summer.

But now I am sad that fall is kind of here, and people are leaving to go home for the winter, and the summer fun is behind us. We didn’t have much of a summer really. Al Gore should have experienced this cold, wet summer! He might have begun to doubt the idea of Global Warming in a place where the heat had to be turned on 12 months in a row now moving into the 13th month! Oh my. It has been so cold here! I am sitting here writing this in my fall weather fleece jacket.

Nonetheless, we have now had 4 days of sun in a row, a record for this summer of rain, rain and more rain. The flowers and plants are green, but scrawny, some even drowned. Most plants in our yard are smaller than usual, some didn’t even bloom well. And the strangest thing: I haven’t seen one butterfly! Some birds have already left to go wherever they go. The geese are beginning to practice their V shaped formations, the hummingbirds are feeding like crazy as they do just before heading South, the light is fading from the skies earlier and earlier. All in all, I am not wanting to let go of summer this year, partially because we feel it hasn’t really yet arrived!

When you live in a seasonal tourist area, you really notice when people leave to go home for the school year. You can almost feel the air go out of the area as if you got a flat tire. One day there are people all over the place, the next you are looking around for another boat, car or jet ski in sight! Don’t get me wrong…we love both the crowds of summer and the peace of winter. They are so contrasting that it makes life very interesting and varied. There are more and more people staying up here all winter but this former winter loving woman is now becoming one of those old fogies who is looking forward to spending part of the winter away somewhere warm!

I realize I truly am rambling, but that’s what I do when I am in this “between seasons” mood. As much as I love the fall, it is short here, and the cold winds blow all too early. There are little treasures that winter brings like seeing the deer come down to the lake to drink, or the snowy owl sitting outside my kitchen window in the tree, or the bald eagle soaring high overhead looking for his dinner.

And then spring will come again. Living so close to nature again after years of city and suburban living I count the seasons by seeing what is blooming throughout spring, summer and fall, and how the light shifts throughout the winter into those long, endless summer days. Living this far north our night lasts about 6 hours at the height of summer, 15 in the dead of winter. I realize how truly fortunate we are to be able to experience these varied moods of nature. Still, I wish summer would last a little bit longer, and that time with our family could be extended another few weeks. I feel a little guilty for wanting more, but I guess that is just my human side pouting. There is no holding back nature even in the best of times. So I guess I’ll just have to settle into this fleece which will give way to a down parka sooner than later now. Hopefully my reluctance to move on will give way to an embrace of what comes next and I will get immersed in the best of what each season brings.

8 comments:

  1. Sounds like you need to make a big pot of soup and get in the mood for winter. Start nesting, get out favorite sweaters and quilts. You will be fine. We all have moments like this. As long as they are just "moments". Hang in there rambling girl and enjoy the rest of the week!

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  2. Hi Susan! Great ideas for this ramblin' girl! I adore making and eating soups! I know I'll be fine. Especially with "help from my friends"! Thanks, friend! xo

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  3. I'm with you. Although we've been blessed with unusually warm, dry weather this summer, it's drawing to an end all too soon for me. I'd really like to live in a climate that's warm all year 'round, with sunny skies. I'm still trying to figure out a way that I have support myself in a lifestyle that would allow me to be slightly nomadic, following the sun to different parts of the world throughout the year.

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  4. Carolynn, doesn't that sound ideal! I hope you can figure it out sooner than later! It sounds like a wonderful plan! xo

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  5. It's taking me time to settle down and in too, Diantha. Living in northern climes does take some getting used to. Seasons can whirl in and whirl out and you are caught off guard, literally.

    Last year winter came to fast (and never left, 170 inches of snow) that I never got my garden cut back and put to bed for winter. Lost bunches of bushes because of it. :-(

    So we must be gentle with ourselves during these times of seasonal transition. I know it has felt like a whirlwind to me too so I am just going to settle down for a lovely late-summer weekend and garden and get to the beach. Daughter off to college, all is well. Hope you enjoy yours too. Ramblings are good!

    (Actually, I am enjoying less traffic. The tangle here gets incredible! Sometimes so many cars that I can hardly stand to be on our beach, which is just yards from the road....)

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  6. Yes, you are right, sometimes ramblings are good! I feel much better having written and shared this!

    It is interesting living in a tourist area...the highs and lows of it, the yin and yang of it, and can you believe the traffic this weekend? WOW! I think the whole nation has showed up for this, the last weekend of summer! And what great weather we are having...FINALLY!

    Just in case, I've begun cutting back some of our perennials that have exhausted themselves. And thrown out all the drowned potted plants. Poor things.

    Hope you have a lovely weekend, less traffic, and more peace! I'll see you soon! xo

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  7. I'm feeling the same. Although we have had almost the opposite type of summer - long, dry and over 100 degrees every day for more than a month, I still hate to see it go. I love the long days, walks early in the morning just as the light hits the tops of the trees and glides down. I used to live in a resort community, so I know exactly what you mean about the air going out. But both times can be good in their own ways. Tell you what - I'll take some of that moisture and colder temps and we'll give you some of our dryness and warmth! Wish we could, huh?

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  8. Anne, wow...over 100! We haven't even gotten into the 80's more than about 3 times all summer. That hasn't helped the lake temperatures but we are still swimming! It's getting pretty tough though...maybe a few more days!

    It would be nice if we could all even things out as you suggest! I guess just learning to live with "what is" is what it's all about though!

    Here's to fall!

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