August, die she must
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold.
April Come She Will, Simon and Garfunkel
If you asked me what I accomplished in August my response would be, ‘not much’. But as I look at these images, it seems I accomplished more than I realized!
There was so much making… pies and jams, sewing, and always knitting! Plus, hours in the gardens (although if you saw them today you’d be doubtful of that!)
Vegetable Garden Productivity was stunningly awful. I never had more tomatoes than I could use and not enough to preserve any for future use. The only tomato plants that had any success at all were the Oxhearts – and even that was a manageable production. As for my flower beds – alas, the deer ravaged them multiple times this month…sigh.
The biggest changes were in light and skies – those August skies were less blue but rather filled with interesting clouds! And, as the August days drew to a close, we felt the first inklings of the change of seasons. Cooler breezes paired with cooler days and nights that required another blanket on the bed and a sweater for my morning garden excursions.
The video this month was so much fun! There was so much butterfly footage! Including “Butterfly Skirmishes” – which look like a gentle, swirling, fluttering dance…those Swallowtail’s are very territorial, it seems!
And with that, August memories are tucked away.
What about you? What is your favorite August memory?
July was a tough month for me but in looking back, I am happy to see some very good things despite it being such a challenge! July 3rd might be my favorite picture of the whole month though! That single pierced ear has brought lots of laughter! (although a freshly washed and fluffy Sherman on the 13th is not bad either!) Though there was lots of rain (as you can see in the video below) the skies were so amazing in July – so many clouds!
Now for the video – my plan was to get 31 days of walking, but you all know that did not happen. I had hoped to maybe be back walking in August, but today that seems very unlikely…and yes, my frustration is growing! I got video all but one day – but I did take a photo of my new Birks so I inserted that in place of the missing video! I also managed to capture the elusive Hummingbird Moth along with so many bees and butterflies!
I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June. — L.M. Montgomery
I think my photos last month show exactly what it might be like were every month June! And, yes please – can I get this on endless repeat?
It was a month of perpetual flowers, interesting skies, first fruits, and some darned good cocktails! Oh, and countless hours of outside time!
Why even the rainstorms were beautiful! And, though I was not happy to see it happen – that first super hot day was pleasantly delayed until month end. I know that hot days are necessary to make those tomatoes grow!
The videos also were so fun this month – and so much Sherman! My favorite is him barking at the Chantix Turkey. Yep, he hates him and he barks at him every time the commercial is on!
I debated about doing this post, since I kicked May to the curb last week, but then I looked at all the images and the video from last month and realized that there were so many good moments to remember and rejoice over!
So, let’s do a bit of rejoicing shall we?
For a month that felt so darned rainy, there were lots of blue-sky photos! May brings such dramatic light changes – it is the month that I really begin to notice the dramatic changes day by day! And so many blooms and bees and birds! It just goes to show that if you take a photo every day – you will be amazed when you look back. There were some “firsts” – first iris, first asparagus, and those magical first poppies of the season! There was not much knitting, but I did manage to finish 2 projects! And, there were oodles of hours working outside in the garden beds and filling what felt like a gazillion containers!
The video was even better this month, I think a few seconds of video every day is just such a fun way to gather bits of the month. There was so much Genevieve (which is my favorite!) I even managed to get the video of a “Northern Michigan Traffic Jam” thanks to the road work crew who were working a couple of days during our stay! There were sunsets, Lake Michigan, birdsong, and all the bees!! Oh!! And there was whipping cream for the first strawberry shortcake of the season! If you look at the photo images, you might think we had a glorious sunny month, but we did have lots of rain!
And, there you have it, my Not-So-Bad-After-All-May!
May has felt unbelievably long to me – at times it has felt like it has been on pause with the days running into one another. While I know and am trying to remind myself that there have been plenty of very good May days they seem to have been drowned out by the very challenging days of unexpected expenses, arguments, and upsets.
As this month closes, it feels like it has been ages since I was in Michigan – so, I am sending May out the door with a pictorial reminder of just how wonderfully it started:
Have a great weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!
P.S. A dear reader shared the most wonderful link with me this week which is perfectly timed to help us start PRIDE month. I did not know that 73% of the LGBTQ community have been harassed online due to their sexual orientation/gender identity. If you want to share this link with friends, please feel free to do so! No one should feel at risk or harassed ever.
A gush of bird-song, a patter of dew, A cloud, and a rainbow’s warning, Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue– An April day in the morning. ― Harriet Prescott Spofford
Oh, April! You were so amazing and full of so many good things: Blue skies, bird-song, bountiful blooms, and even a birthday!
It was a month with the perfect mix of rain and sun. My garden spent the month waking and growing, and blooming! The forsythia provided a riot of yellow flowers, and the lilac seems to have settled in well and was full of blooms! Why, even the “free” Hyacinth had a bloom this year! However, your ending in Michigan was the best!
