Really?!! Is climate change moving fall into August. I get it, we are a month away from the autumnal equinox, summer is waning, there is a borderline drought, but there are 10 days left of August. Do the leaves have to drop in my lap and remind me the year is entering its twilight?
This dendrologic detritus is not the only sign of a fading summer. We are losing about 2.5 minutes of light per day, the angle of the sun has dropped so that the light is not hitting my deck until 11:00 a.m., the lake level has dropped to the point where vehicles can drive onto spits of land 200 yards from the shoreline in June, acorns are falling and clanking on roofs, decks and cars, there are tiny splashes of fall colors within the forest and the apples have populated the numerous "wild" trees in the area. All of these signs have created a slight rise in my blood pressure as the reality of leaving the cabin becomes clearer. There is so much I still want to do, but it's like being slowly backed into a corner by some unknown force, where at some point you will have to flee so as not to get caught. The focus is on not getting caught rather than enjoying what is left and the coming transition. I'm hoping being aware of this feeling will help me simply step to the side and experience the last month of Vermont.
0 Comments
Remember those days, oh so long ago, when summers were spent swimming or fishing in the lake, fielding ground balls on the most uneven sandlots, ditching cars at night and fighting the urge to stay quiet when the pretty girl next door says hi. That has got to bring a smile to your face just thinking of the good ole days or a frown if you think about how many kids won't have those experiences. But that is for another entry. This is a nod to the days when just getting up without school hanging over your head or a job to run to was the norm during the months of warm. Sometimes I would climb the tallest hemlock on our hilltop property and be the highest being in the world - at least my little world. Scanning the horizons for a 360 degree view. Never once thinking about how those skinny little branches held my weight as I scampered up and bounced down amidst the perfectly spaced horizontals.
The other day I got a glimpse of how those branches held my weight. Trees have skeletons. The branches root deep into the trunk of the tree anchoring all those branches to create an immense amount of strength. The knots we see in wood are remnants of those branches and if ever you tried to hammer a nail through a knot, you know how hard it is. The internal cellulose of those branches is harder than the trunk wood. A lot harder. aHow is it that when one retires there is precious little down time? There is always something to do in this world. How anyone can say they are bored is beyond me. So many interests, so many curiosities, so many ballgames and concerts and fresh veggies and new friends and new hikes and magical streams and Scrabble games and new taverns and family and old friends and new towns and wood to cut and animals to see and new discoveries in general.
Family and friends have waylaid my efforts at near daily entries, but such is life. My focus is usually like my interests, varied and fleeting. I thought age would help with discipline but it does not seem to be the case. Bouncing through this world like Tigger seems to be my lot in life. At least it is done with a smile on my face and a hop, skip and a jump in my step. |
Retired Educator
A life in flux. Categories
All
|