Sunday, August 30, 2009

Sunday Stroll - August 30

You may visit Aisling's blog and see other Sunday Strollers on this last Sunday in August.



Astrologically speaking, we are now in Virgo. Virgo is a mutable sign which, in natural terms, means that this period from the twenties of August into the twenties of September is sometimes like summer and other times like fall. Often we have a day which contains both seasons - a cool fallish morning, with a warm summery afternoon, and then back to fall in the evening. Personally, I love it. I love this time of year with the often crisp air and bright blue skies. I even like the gray rains that cool off the summer-burnt lawns and plants.

Late August is quiet, muted, soft. After the hustle-bustle of summer, nature and people breathe a welcome sigh of relief. The end of August is the end of summer here. Other places will have flowers and gardens that thrive well into the fall, and even the winter, but here we are pretty much done.

Brown-eyed Susans

Goldenrod

Tansy

Goldenglow

Asters

The milkweed pods have formed

Some color starting in the maple leaves

The ugly tent caterpillars

Nest won't be needed till next spring

We've begun the garden cleanup - still have some food, but it looks pretty sad this time of year

Peaceful

15 comments:

  1. Beautiful, pastoral... I love your stroll today. I saw the tiniest bit of autumn color this afternoon too.

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  2. I always enjoy your stroll. It looks peaceful indeed. Our asters aren't quite blooming but several other things are similar. I too like this warm/cool season.

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  3. Thank you, Aisling and Lisa so much.

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  4. Very pretty thoughts and pictures about this transitional time of year--but what is that picture on top?

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  5. Nan, I love the donkey and sheep picture! Thanks for taking us on your stroll!

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  6. The end of August is a favorite time of mine as well. I love the cool nights--we put a wool blanket on the bed last night. The golden rod is still bending over the edges of the road. The crickets are still singing.

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  7. What gorgeous end-of-summer photos! Thanks for inviting me along on your stroll :)

    What kind of nest is that in your banner pic?

    Jeanne

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  8. looks very calming there...you must really love it. How did you come to live on a farm?

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  9. Beautiful photos, Nan. I felt very nostalgic looking at your photos. There's nothing here to make me see any changes in seasons for now. I think the sun is shifting a bit in the sky though. I do miss the seasonal changes we used to have in Illinois before we moved to Hawaii.

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  10. Me, again. I forgot to mention that I LOVED all your gorgeous flower photos. They're so different from what we see here.

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  11. Such lovely photos, Nan. I so enjoyed this stroll. :)

    Our asters won't start blooming for another week or so. And we call the yellow and black flowers Black-Eyed Susans. :)

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  12. Noooo, no falling leaves! No, not yet...too soon! :)

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  13. Thank you, Mary Lois. The banner is an 'artsy' off-angle shot my son took of the wasp nest up on the eaves of the house. He took a regular, straight-on picture, too, but I liked this one better. I love all the different lines, and the little bit of sky. Almost exactly a year ago, I had a 'today's picture' of another wasp nest in the maple tree.

    http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2008/08/wordless-wednesday-wasp-nest.html

    This year they changed their spot, and made a bigger one. Utterly harmless, slow-moving, never stinging.

    Sherri, thank you so much.

    Sarah, and I changed the comforter from the light summer to the thicker one. I so love this part of the year.

    Karin, I love it! The down that does come later is the softest material on earth I think.

    Jeanne, thank you very much. Please look above to my response to Mary Lois' question.

    Susan, it is a peaceful, quiet place. Even as a little girl growing up in the next small town over from here, I knew I wanted to live in the country with animals.

    Kay, we could always do one of those house swaps, as long as I could come there when they were filming LOST and I could see Mr. Holloway. :<)

    Les, I switch back and forth between brown and black. :<)

    Jeff, not a bit too soon for me. :<)

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  14. Just catching up with you after two weeks away--the late summer flowers look like what I saw in Vermont, but even in the hills the maples were not yet turning.

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  15. Morning's Minion - were you just in VT?? Our leaves aren't turning yet either. Just a hint, a tiny hint of color.

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