Look what’s happening in my yard!
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- October 28. The leaves on the white oak are beginning to change.
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- Just a few places on the crape myrtle tree are tinged with color. By Thanksgiving, it should be all amazing red.
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- Holly berries back in early November
I know that this isn’t going to mean much to those of you who don’t live in Texas or other fall-delayed places, who, for example, may have had snow last week. But to us, here in the place where the air conditioning was running full tilt until a couple of weeks ago, the first signs of fall are long-awaited, much anticipated, and downright exciting.
There’s a verse in Song of Solomon (2:11-12a) that says, “for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come.” (NRSV) That’s probably the way people in Maine feel when the first crocus comes up. But for me, I feel that excitement when the leaves begin to turn. I’ve been walking around the yard saying, “for now the summer is past, the horrid, searing, killing, devastating heat is over and gone. The rains have come and the lawns are green again. The red leaves appear on the trees; the time of singing has come.” (And, I can start wearing my sweaters again and finally turn off the sprinkler system!)
Of course, I know that fall will always come, finally. But by mid-September, when all the magazines have photos of families in knit hats and jackets, and the recipe pages are full of soups and stews and things to warm folks up after being outside where there’s a sudden nip in the air, we’re still having ninety-degree days, and are weeks away from needing to put on a pair of boots, unless it’s for some sort of fashion statement. The statement being, “If I don’t start wearing my boots now, I’m not going to get hardly any wear out of them, and they cost a fortune.”
On September 7, Baylor had a home football game, at 2:30 in the afternoon. I guess that choice happened because of television schedules, because there’s no other reasonable reason to have a football game in the middle of the day in September. The game time temperature was almost 100 degrees, and of course, on the field, temperatures were higher than that. Baylor was playing a team from Buffalo, New York (BLESS. THEIR. HEARTS!). I’m sure they’re still having nightmares.
That’s what “fall” is like around here, not just at the beginning of September, but beyond. Our last 90-degree day was October 4. That’s why I almost wept last Saturday afternoon when I walked out of the house and noticed the oak tree’s leaves. It’s one of the first trees on the block to change. This reaffirms (not that I completely doubted it) the orderliness of God’s world. The seasons come and go (eventually), babies have birthdays, the moon waxes and wanes, and the earth keeps on turning so we can have day and night.
Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
Psalm 145: 2, 3 (NRSV)
Meanwhile, because I live in such a weatherly moderate place, here’s what else is happening in my yard.
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- The bougainvillea are going nuts.
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- I usually put impatiens in this bag for the spring and summer, but leave it empty all winter. This year I thought maybe pansies would work. They seem to be doing really well, except for that sad little guy on the right, who has obviously checked out. I need to look for a replacement.
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- This lantana is in the front bed that gets all the sun. It will die back if there’s a freeze, but always makes a substantial comeback in the spring.
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- The yellow roses, also in the front bed, have really enjoyed the fall rains and cooler temps.
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- The dwarf pomegranate is bearing prodigiously.
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- And this tardy, lazy bougainvillea, which moved from the garage to its place outdoors in March, finally, a couple of weeks ago, remembered what it’s life purpose is, and bloomed.
Loved this post! Having lived there for so long and now living where Fall is in its glory, I understand your joy at the small signs of change. We,too,have the same gorgeous lantana in our yard, but a frost took some toll this week, but it’s still good to go!
Yeah, I feel a little bit like “I’ve *seen* the photos, but I haven’t really *done* fall.” I guess I’ll just have to enjoy it vicariously.
Jill and I got caught in the snow at Yosemite Monday. Short sleeves Sun. 8 inches of snow Mon. Had to stay an extra day. The choice was $200 for chains (like we have at home in the garage) or $139 for an extra night at Tenaya Lodge, breakfast included.
Oh, I’m envious. I remember snow in Yosemite. But it sounds like it worked out well for you. Meanwhile, the air conditioner clicked on three times yesterday afternoon. But, it’s much cooler now and supposed to be even cooler tomorrow. Not cold. But cooler.