I don’t recall such a definitive September before… a curious month… the days leading up to autumn were warm with summer temperatures right up until the week that autumn arrived and then, as if a switch had been flipped, it felt like autumn.
I do so love the September light though, and although we got more than our fair share of rain this month, there were still a good number of days that I could savor the light of September. Slow sunrises and sunsets are some of my favorite things… and September brings the best!
It was also a September capped by losses… particularly Wendell Berry, Gloria Steinem, and Annie Dillard. I admired these people… especially the words they wrote down. I am grateful their words live on. I have been dipping into Wendell Berry’s poetry and have queued up Pilgrim at Tinker Creek for October. I was moved by Gloria Steinem’s final posthumous essay in The New Yorker. And I am looking forward to reading her newly released memoir, An Unexpected Life soon.
September was the month that I circled back on some medical issues… my mammogram recheck (all good!) and my visit with the urogynocologist that was better than I even dared to hope for! I had my vision checked and got new glasses! And last Thursday, I went and got my “jabs” for Flu and COVID and though I was feeling “mighty puny” on Friday… I am so glad for a good reaction to reinvigorate my T-cells!
My backyard has settled down quite a bit… or at least I thought it had until I had some migrating visitors that I count myself blessed to have caught in their brief stopover! I was sitting at my desk when I heard an unfamiliar bird and was stunned to find a group of Red-eyed Vireo’s in my little tree all taking turns in the bird bath! These are not usual visitors by any means and I was thrilled to watch them enjoy the water! I also caught sight of a lone female Summer Tanager in that tree about a week later. I only ever saw her… and I truly hope she was not making her long migration solo! But perhaps the best was the morning Frankie and I were out for his morning “sniff” amble… I have been leaving my phone at home and I heard what I thought might be bluebirds! I hurried the amble up to a brisker pace back home and headed out to the yard and I was right, Eastern Bluebirds all around my backyard! The wires were full of them! I was stunned because I never see Bluebirds anywhere in my neighborhood… I have tried enticing them with mealworms but have never been successful!
Perhaps the best physical thing straddling this odd, uneven time is that I still have a hummingbird or two visiting and I put out millet seed for the juncos and even though I have not seen one yet, I heard them on Saturday…
Nostalgia — that’s the autumn, dreaming through September. Just a million lovely things I will remember. — Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Yes, indeed… there are so many things I will remember from this September! I am so sad it is almost over.
What about you? How was your September?
See you all back here on Wednesday!
I’ve always loved September (birthday!!). I love the light and the changes that are visible. As I’ve said before, I’m thankful to live in an area with four seasons and I think the changing times (for any season) are perhaps my most favorite times. I filled the bird feeder by my office window and Mabel has been enjoying her perch in front of it!
Like Vera, I’m so happy to live in a place where we get to experience the change of all four seasons. It really was pretty amazing how the weather seemed to flip from summer to fall overnight! Once we got past that cold rain of early last week, it’s been so perfect. I haven’t been as lucky as you in the bird arena, though I was talking to a neighbor on Saturday and we saw a hummingbird — her response was, “Better migrate now!”
I lived in Florida for two years, and it was about 23 months too long. I love how our seasons change, and I love autumn most of all. We’ve had delightful temperatures and even with tons of rain from the coastal storm, it’s been wonderful. Your backyard sounds like a wondrous place; I’m imagining all those birds passing the word on to each other that they have to stop by Kat’s yard because it’s such a welcoming place. Enjoy this fall Monday!
September. We drove to Oregon this weekend for our great-nephew’s first birthday. It was warm enough for a lunch party outside, but sweatshirt weather after dark. We had such a lovely drive through the Gorge yesterday. But came home to read about one last (we hope) wildfire in our area that took four homes. That’s the wrong last touch of summer.
I especially enjoyed reading about “your” birds this morning.
We have red-eyed vireos all summer long at our cabin up north . . . but they’re long gone now. (And now I know where they went!!!) They are such cheery little birds! We still have hummingbirds here in my garden, but most of our other summer “friends” have moved on. The nuthatches and wrens are back, though. And I expect the juncoes to show up any day now. Watching summer turn into fall is always wonderful, isn’t it? (And YAY for good medical news!!!!)
Alas, my hummingbirds are gone. There is still loads of bird activity, though, and I am so grateful to see them. I feel like this September went by in a flash and I think that’s partly because Labor Day was so late. I’m glad you checked off a lot of medical stuff with good results, too.
Loved this blog. I could read about bird sightings every day and not tire of it.
I adore September because that’s when the fall season showings happen and of course it leads to October!! I cannot get enough of the colors changing.
You had an excellent September. I have also set aside my copy of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to reread. Reading this post is an inspiration as I’m teaching myself to love the transition months. It seems as if I often am looking ahead instead of staying in the present. And Eastern Bluebirds – wow, that flock sounds like a bit of magic.