Shifting Seasons

Now that August is well underway there is a shift in the season happening. Despite the temperatures remaining quite warm, there are signs that we are heading toward another season. 

The light is changing, the sun lower in the sky, casting longer shadows. The sounds of the garden are changing too; crickets chanting into the evening and early morning; the leaves (drying early due to drought) rustle in the breeze sounding like a bit like taffeta; the squirrels racing around the backyard seem to be spending more time burying their peanuts instead of eating them right away, preparing for the colder season; the monarchs too are busy drinking nectar (thereby playing an important role as pollinators) before they make their long migration south.

With these subtle changes I feel a melancholy at the thought of another long winter without my garden. Though it has been a summer filled with injury and recovery I am grateful to have been able to spend many hours working in and observing my garden; watching the birds and seeing the flowers blossom. The revitalizing season of summer has propelled me forward to working hard on restoring my well-being; backing up to the past then moving forward, erasing deep carved ruts and creating a fresh path. A feel a new sense of peace as I reflect on the seasons of my life so far as I realize much has been learned, and I have grown and changed in many positive ways - a metamorphosis of sorts - readying myself for the next season.