As the Mountain Sun Wanes; Seasonal Living in August

The other day on my morning walk, the summer heat was the same as it usually is on a sweltering August day. Something was different though, and I could sense it but couldn’t put my finger on it. I felt the verge of seasonal change but not for the typical reason of a cool, brisk morning. Then I realized – it was the light! The waning sunlight on the mountainside; the way the sun’s rays illuminated it was different, like the way the sun shines through the trees on an October day.

Even though I have a fondness for Autumn, I’m not trying to rush the seasons along. I feel like time is already going too fast as it is. As a lover of photography though, lighting is something I notice often. I also particularly appreciate the slow and steady passage as each season reaches it’s peak and then descends into the next. I watch God’s beautiful creation and I feel that it teaches us that change is continual and constant.

Of course, the sun has been losing its intensity since it reached its apex on the summer solstice, but now I feel it is noticeable. We still have hot days and more to come too; this week is probably even a technical heat wave. But pretty soon those cooler nights will start to fade in here and there. We are at a point where the season is fading from summer into autumn.

I think of all the enjoyable things still to do like county fairs and carnivals. I love seeing the community come together around agriculture and folk art.

Farmers markets are still in full swing with so many fresh fruits and vegetables. If you don’t have a food producing garden, like I didn’t plant one this year, the farmers market is a great place to also buy foods to preserve for the winter. Canning, dehydrating and freezing are ways to preserve the harvest.

Luckily, too, activities like fairs, carnivals and farmers markets are all outside. And preserving the harvest is something that is done at home in your own kitchen.

As the weather begins to cool in the evenings it will be perfect for eating s’mores by the campfire, too. Yummy tip; try your s’mores with peanut butter instead of chocolate for a nice change!

The light’s signal also makes me think about how my gardens need tending. All my spring and early summer perennials that have bloomed and withered need to be tucked away until next year.

The porch; still in red, white and blue decorations for the summer, feels in need of change into that of red, yellow and brown.

I think of composition notebooks and fresh clothes, reminiscing of when I was a child going back to school. My own little one is still too young for school, but those parents with school-aged children know as well. For me, this now translates into looking over paperwork, making new goals for the year ahead and starting to think of what I need for my autumn/winter wardrobe.

It’s almost like a mini “new year”. Some even use academic year planners with an August/September start, instead of the calendar year of January.

August is a time of living fully, expanding and taking it all in before the coming winter sets in.