As Summer Comes To A Close

Apples, Autumn, Bees, Deer, Reflections, Summer, Sunflowers, The Farm,

We are (too) quickly approaching the Fall equinox and it seems that Summer and Fall have been duking it out. Some days we have had cooler fall-like temperatures but on other days have been hot, reminding us that it is still summer.

I thought I would share some of my observations from my morning walks at the farm on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday morning was warm and humid. As I arrived at the farm a bunny, who was sitting in the driveway, scampered away. When I exited my van two deer, who were near the pond, made a quick exit into the woods as well. As the sun rose, burning off bits of fog, the dew was still heavy and glistened on blades of grass and clover leaves. My rubber boots were soaked but my feet were dry as I walked the path around the back field.

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While most of the sunflowers have gone to seed, we still have one patch that are smiling brightly with their faces turned toward the rising sun.

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We had planted sunflower patches several times throughout the spring and summer and this last patch is now being enjoyed by our bees and many other pollinators.

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Apple picking is not far off. We have tasted a few apples but have decided they needed a bit more time to ripen.

 

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I saw and heard many birds this morning, but this one seemed to be posing for me.

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The wild flowers in the field are in transition. Thistle and Queen Anne’s Lace have all gone to seed and Golden Rod is fading, but Asters are now blossoming. The bees will forage the Asters into the fall while they continue to build their stores for winter.

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The Maple trees are beginning to change color, ushering in the new season, yet the Hibiscus continue to bloom, holding tight to these last days of summer.

Wednesday morning was cooler. The sun was shielded by a thick blanket of clouds. I did not spot any rabbits or deer which is somewhat unusual. Although I wore my rubber boots, the ground was not wet and my farm shoes probably would have kept my just feet dry.

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The sunflowers seemed to be searching for the sun, their heads turned in various directions.

The air was still as I walked the path around the back field, but I was amused seeing the  weeds wiggled as grass hoppers jumped on them or hit them on their way by.

I didn’t hear the song birds like the previous morning instead I heard crows and then turkeys. I heard the turkeys several times as I walked the path across the field but I did not spot them until I reached the wood line.

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There was a flock of them in the neighbors yard – I would have liked to get a better shot but they seemed disturbed and had I gone any closer they would have scattered.

It seems that Summer has passed way to fast this year, and as she travels south for the winter I bid her farewell.

We’ll welcome fall with hopes of many pleasant days, as there is still much work to do before winter arrives.

How about you? Has summer seemed short to you? Are you looking forward to the change of seasons? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks for visiting. 🙂

 

37 thoughts on “As Summer Comes To A Close”

  1. Pingback: *Press it* As Summer Comes To A Close #51 | Its good to be crazy Sometimes

    1. Thank you. Our neighboring soy bean field is brown and ready to be harvested. We expected to see the machinery out harvesting this past week but it didn’t happen. It’s raining now and there is rain in the forecast much of this week I expect they will be waiting now for things to dry up. I think that is good news for the deer who like to graze there. LOL
      I do think the colors of summer lift the spirit.
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. We drove to Port Huron yesterday and spotted many trees changing. It won’t be long before they will be in full glorious color. I am ok with the cooler temps, but I am missing my early morning bike rides. I will have to adjust my routine and make sure to get them in.

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    1. That drive along I-69 usually has a grand display when the trees are in full color. Did you take that route? Our routine (dictated by chickens) changes a little each day as the hours of sunlight get shorter or after the winter equinox get longer.

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  4. That piece was so beautifully written that I felt like I was walking along beside you! Thank you for sharing that wonderful experience. Summer was wonderful here in Ireland this year, but Autumn has certainly crept in during the last week! Best of luck with the remaining work to be done.

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    1. I am so glad that you enjoyed your visit. Thank you for your lovely comment. It means a lot to me. I always picture Ireland as lush and green. Will you have the glorious mix of reds, oranges, yellows and browns as we do in autumn?

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      1. Oh yes, we have beautiful colours here during Autumn…it’s quite splendid! Lush and green is all around up until the end of September or early October. Then it all changes before our eyes..

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  7. I’m not usually ready to turn off Summer, but this Summer it has just been so hot and humid that I’m ready for Fall. Fall is my favorite season – I love the chill in the air, the colors …Fall will be here tomorrow, not only on the calendar, but dropping 20 degrees and in the 40s over the weekend. The weather has been fitful this year. I would love to walk out of the door and see what you see in one trip around your place. You are lucky to have nature surrounding you Ruth.

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      1. Yes it has since the beginning of the year Ruth, if not earlier than that. I recall Sunday, December 3, 2017 it was in the 60s. (It was my late friend Marge’s birthday, so the date sticks in my head.) People were stringing Christmas lights and putting out holiday decor or raking leaves. Five or six days later we had a bad snowstorm. You are lucky to live there – it is clear from your posts how much you enjoy it.

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  8. Fall is my favourite time of year, and with your descriptions I can see it coming. Today the weather is more like a wintery day in England, misty and damp with little visibility. Hopefully tomorrow is better. Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. We have a cold front coming through right now and it has been hot but very windy all day long. Tomorrow is going to be about 20 degrees cooler than today. I hope your tomorrow is better and you have a great weekend as well.

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  9. It’s definitely feeling like fall and this is just the beginning of the fall blast of colors on the way. I love seeing all the changes of seasons but surely miss the leaves once their gone. That’s why I had planted a lot of pines in my yard so the calmly green never leaves my sight.
    Always enjoy seeing your pics of your surroundings.

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    1. Hi Rebecca. It’s nice to hear from you. You are right the grey tones of winter along with days with limited or no sunshine make winter depressing. Evergreens are helpful – We have planted a lot of spruce seedlings at the farm and each year they get a little bigger. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

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  10. Beautiful! It’s definitely fall around here – we haven’t had a dry morning in weeks (and Rowan took and lost my boots!). Your sunflowers look so good though!

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  12. I have recently moved to a warmer climate, so it’s a bit funny to me. I keep hearing and reading about it getting cooler, about the color changes, etc., but I’m seeing none of that. The only difference is that it’s still dark in the morning (well, darker than it was last month, anyway) when I get up.
    I couldn’t be happier, because if I stayed up North, I would probably say the same thing as you (as I did every year): “The summer is over ALREADY? It went by too fast.”

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  13. Summer was not short for us, because we were busy with our grandsons. Each had to be fetched from far away and returned to college. Their work schedules required juggling. We have lots of company coming in the next few weeks, and that will stretch out our fall season. It’s going to be great. I’m glad you’ve had some quiet times at the farm.

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