Bits and Pieces
by Raymond Alexander KukkeeI am getting that uneasy feeling ---again. It is that time of year. It happens every year up here in NW Ontario, but somehow, it seems to have arrived earlier this year.
Evenings and early mornings are becoming cool, dew is heavy. Yes, it is a welcome relief in some ways-- from the extreme heat--most people will agree. No matter, I get the same feeling every year. ...Summer is ending, the end is in sight--even if it's still a few weeks away, the feeling that fall is already upon us has arrived--at least in the mind.
Out there in the reality of the back yard, some leaves are indeed turning dull. A few are even yellow. Is it because of the stress from excessive heat all summer? The land is dry in spite of rainfall. We thereby reason, but do not satisfy the uneasy mind.
Is it the imagination, or is it just a perception, a 'feeling'? Are our instincts that good?
Is it worry about woodpiles that need to be collected? The sudden race to rescue and collect the traditional garden and field harvests from inclement weather on the way?
Is it about survival? Is it fear of change, or is it about self-preservation?
The urgent need to complete a building project? Could it be buried echos of dreaded school days surfacing from long ago, the torture of school about to start again, the loss of idyllic summer freedom? That's a stretch, --albeit genuine stress recalled in the past.
Is this year different, somehow? Is the Mayan calendar of doom right? Do you know what I mean?
The beavers down the road have build a huge dam on the creek to store food. Is that a sign of a difficult winter on the way? Are we like other creatures in nature, like honeybees that instinctively must store food, in bits and pieces?
--And by the way, here's an interesting aside, no wonder honey is good for the common cold. Honey bees seem to love the lowly Coneflower, also known as Echinecea as much as butterflies do. How about that?Are they stocking the medicine cabinet for the winter?
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| A honeybee on Coneflower (Echinecea) |
Perhaps 'the feeling' is just one of Mother Nature's unique, persuasive methods--to get us to work harder--and survive, -making us stronger. NOT a bad thing.
Is that Incoming I hear?
An interesting take-on for such simple, everyday habits. Survival of the fittest does play a major role regardless of the species. Now that you mention it, it does seem amazing how we are so tuned to 'the feeling' and unconsciously work towards fulfilling or completing it.
ReplyDeleteHi Mandy, I really was wondering if anyone recognized how many people go through life blissfully unaware of that instinct. Thanks for dropping in! ~R
DeleteThe nights are drawing in and I am enjoying the sunshine while it is here. Raymond is pondering the weather... Good incoming :)
ReplyDeleteHi Cbristyb, thanks! A absolutely, we should enjoy the sunshine while it's there to enjoy. "Christyb smiles in the sunshine" ":) ~R
DeleteI know the feeling RK.....Nights are cooling down now. I even have a blanket on the bed! My cherry trees are covered in yellow leaves and I am wondering if they are dying or is this natural. Everything is yellow now & starting to turn to brown. Golden rod and queen anne's lace are everywhere and my garden is so over grown I can't get in the gate. It's liked somebody slipped in and fed my tomatoes miracle gro in the dark of night...They are huge and laden with green tomatoes, but not one has turned green. Hummm?? It is a heavy feeling within. I shall miss terribly the bright colors of summer, open windows and blowing curtains and the beautiful bird song. I do not like to be shut up in winter in a world of white with no chatter from the animal kingdom. It is a time of void in many ways, but I have a feeling we will all be busy dealing with the dark one's insanity and staying sane ourselves. Let's toast to the final days of summer! Now go catch that fish Rayman!!! Blessings...VK
ReplyDeleteHi, Vk...you clearly understand. "A time of void" is a great description. Indeed, let us toast the final days of summer and enjoy what remains.
DeleteThe final growth spurt of everything is amazing here too...it is unbelievable. When your green tomatoes become shiny, they can be picked at any time, placed on a table under a newspaper, they will ripen a few at a time. We use that process every year--and preserve every one of them.
You're right, I still have to go catch that fish! ":) Thanks for commenting! ~R
Thanks for that suggestion about the tomatoes!!!I'll go out soon and start loading up. There are soooooo many! Ha! I see I said my tomatoes hadn't turned green yet in my comment...What a fool...Oh well you knew what I meant. Have a great rest of the weekend....VK
DeleteHi, Vk,,,you're welcome! As long as the tomatoes are shiny--that is the key. If they have matured enough to be shiny, they'll ripen beautifully! They may be small or full-size.
DeleteAt the end of the season if you have indeterminate tomato plants, you will undoubtedly have some small, green tomatoes. If they are immature and that very dull, flat green surface when picked, they usually will not ripen properly.
You CAN still use them for salsa or relish, although the flavour isn't as good as the shiny ones! You can also make green tomato mincemeat!
Vk, we avoid picking them unless threatened by frost, the longer they are left on the vine, the more tomatoes you'll get! At the end of the season the tomatoes with a dull sheen will not ripen, but spoil first.
DeleteAs long as they're shiny, regardless of size--they'll ripen on the table. Last year we had bushels of green tomatoes ripened in this fashion. Snap off the stems(pips), wipe them clean and cover them with a cloth or newspaper. By the way, this works with all varieties including the tiny cherry tomatoes. ":)
Oh, you're not alone there. I get that exact same feeling every single year and precisely at this time of year. T'is nothing we can do about it. It's the gardener's dread of a growing season come to an abrupt--to us anyway-- end.
ReplyDeleteHi Glory, you're probably right. I really don't like seeing the end of the growing season approaching. It creates anxiety.
Delete"T'is nothing we can do about it"..is right. Thank you for that astute observation. ":) ~R
Hi Glory & Raymond... today I heard a rather thought-provoking and inspiring piece of wisdom from one who's lived through many, many summers. He said that, every year, when summer was unbearably hot and eventually led to autumn and the dreaded winter, he'd set his thoughts on spring... (something like the song in the Sound of Music... my favorite things), and that no matter how bad the year was, the beauty of Spring would always follow and the world would be alright again.
DeleteSeems quite right once you think about it. Have a Spring-inspired autumn and winter. And yep, Summer too. :)
Actually, Mandy, that IS wisdom that should be remembered. Thinking like that, we have winter beaten already. The beauty of spring is upon us! Thanks for that, MANDY! ":)
DeleteI think Raymond when it comes to those 'feelings' we need to take heed of them, as we look to nature and see what she is doing. I take a few drops of Echinecea every morning in some water and I havent had a cold in 4 yrs since taking that and Manuka Honey just a teaspoon. We need to take notice of the Birds and Bees..Berries on the trees, and how wild life start to migrate early etc.
ReplyDeleteI have also felt within my own bones that the UK will be in for a severe winter this year.. I know like you that something blows in the wind.. And we should all of us become more 'in Tune' with our Earth Mother and her Elements as her seasons seem to blend into one.. And weather patterns around the world alter.
Today I picked a punnet of blackberries, the bushes we let grow wild in our Allotments are laden with them this year.. So we should always look to what nature has in her larder for the wild life. For its always balanced if we look closely enough..
Many thanks for dropping in earlier too Raymond your comments are always appreciated. Thank you
Sue~
Hi Sue, I have to agree, we do need to pay attention to those instincts, the feelings we are not 'quite' aware of. It does seem the animals and insects ARE still in tune with Mother Nature, where we humans have been de-tuned somehow--willingly or not?
DeleteOur seasons are still quite distinctive in NW Ontario, in some areas though, I imagine they are 'blending' a bit.
It is interesting that some years a specific fruit will be prolific, others will not produce at all or minimally -and the opposite will happen in other years. We have noticed that ourselves-every year ONE or TWO types will produce bounteous crops-with nary a fruit on others...but the following year the reverse may occur.
I was most fascinated with your term "punnets", I have not heard that one, nor is it any of our dictionaries. How many blackberries in a punnet?" A quart? a pint? 10 lbs?....Too funny!
We pick our raspberries by the 4 liter pail...hahaha!
I really appreciate your dropping in too--and by the way, I am fascinated by your "take" on this life! Have a wonderful day! ~R
No! It's too soon! I love fall, but I'm in no hurry to get there :). Angie
ReplyDeleteHi Angie! That's exactly how I feel. It ALWAYS comes too early for me! It leaves me a bit edgy. I love fall too, the colours, the fresh, cool air, etc...but that warm summer, growth, warm water in the creek, flowers,fresh vegetables--will certainly be missed--way too soon. Thanks for commenting! ":) ~R
DeleteRaymond your instincts are right on...I know what you mean this year does feel different then others...an edge, a feeling of insecurity. With a creeping feeling weseem to prepare for the unknown. Yes, gather our garlic and all the best of summer..We can freeze and preserve what we can and pray that the coming winter will be kind.
ReplyDeleteHi,Olivia, nice to see you! Yes, something does feel different, I guess only time will tell. Maybe it's the 'doomsday' scenario offered by old predictions like the Mayan calendar that seems so publicized, or maybe it's just the weird weather.
DeleteIt is a great idea to prepare. WE peel even the smallest cloves of garlic and freeze it raw--it keeps just fine!
I believe winter will treat us as usual--some years just a bit more severe than other years. The status quo comes to mind...Thanks for commenting! ":) ~R
Hard to believe that early autumn is like summer here, but where I grew up winter is just around the corner. A few weeks won't make much difference here, but it will soon in N. Wisconsin.
ReplyDeleteKeep your eye on the weather my friend and make sure the last of those tomatoes are in before that first hard frost.
Hi Mike! Absolutely--it almost feels like autumn in the morning here..yellow leaves here and there already. It was over 70F here this afternoon--but the temperature swings are amazing.
DeleteIt's curious here--we'll get a couple of killing frosts--then we can have an "Indian summer" all the way through November, nice warm growing weather.
We almost always end up having to harvest the majority of tomatoes before they have a chance to ripen on the vine. They spoil quickly if they get touched by frost, but as long as they are shiny green, they will ripen wonderfully on the table under a newspaper. I imagine Wisconsin is much like here, so you get the 'feeling' too.
Thanks for dropping in, Mike! ":) ~R
I too know about the fall "feeling" - but for me it's one of the better feelings of the year. In the spring I am frantic to get going, but have little energy after the dark winter. That's my spring feeling. In the fall it's almost the opposite - the chill in the air gets my blood up, my mind gets sharper and at the same time I can relax a little and find a rose to smell. I look at the ripening squashes and see all the bounty! My only concern is a practical one ... what if the squash doesn't ripen ahead of the frost? A few expeditions with old tablecloths is usually in order. Once I have it all harvested I can till and mulch the land a little if it's not too wet, knowing that in the spring I won't have the energy for it (although I admit I get out there and do it anyway, volition or no volition!)
ReplyDelete~Wendy
Hi Wendy, --this is so interesting, --I, too, DO like the fall colors, the cool fresh air, and the harvest, I really appreciate the beauty of the bounty, but don't care for the end of the growing season with plants dying off and the promise of bitter cold and damp. Those early fall frosts are annoying, especially with a month-long Indian summer following--where stuff could just keep on growing and ripening! We end up covering virtually the whole garden at times.
DeleteI love the late spring-when everything is promising. It seems to me that even if you don't have energy in the spring, your mind is always sharp! Thanks for this interesting comment!
I suspect you're in the minority on that feeling -but then everyone is unique. ":) ~R
I have no such inclination yet. I know being still in the throes of the unbearable heat and just the beginnings of the late summer storms, we still have a way to go...and at least one, if not two Indian summers ahead. Fall is not my time. I prefer spring. Yet, if given the choice of the other three seasons, I choose fall. For me it is relaxing.
ReplyDeleteRed.
Red, no 'feeling' there yet- it must be very hot where you are--I don't know how you stand it. I can certainly understand the relaxing aspect when it does cool off ! ":) Nice to see you! ~R
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