Fading

“I can’t believe summer is going by so fast,” are words I’ve been hearing a lot lately. For those of us in northern climes, summer can never last long enough.

The calendar is saying that 32 days of summer remain. But the first goldenrods are sporting their yellow flowers, and the insect chorus gets louder every night. Autumn’s imminent arrival cannot be denied.

Each summer is unique; nature brings surprises, some good and others not. At this moment, our vistas are awash in myriad shades of green. Summer had a slow start, but the rains finally came. The corn now looks like tall green walls lining the roadsides, and gardeners can’t pick their veggies fast enough.

The annual parade of flowers continues at full steam. At this moment, Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot) is ruling the roadsides and reigning in the meadows. In many places, it resembles a summer snowfall. I had to pull some in our prairie so it wouldn’t take over, and that culling released an intense carroty smell.

Our cup plants are thriving as well, producing a bumper crop of flowers. We welcome the bees who are having a massive party in them.

On a sadder note, butterfly numbers were down this summer. Our milkweed thrived, but the usual masses of monarchs did not come to lay eggs and feast. The swallowtails were scarce as well, and only a few red admirals fluttered through the yard.

Much better news can be reported on our purple martins. Both our houses were occupied, and many babies were raised and fledged. The families have all set off now on the long journey to their winter homes. It’s a poignant moment when we realize that their lovely chirping no longer fills our yard, another indicator that summer is slipping away.

The birds that remain are sending signals, too. The seeds in our feeders quickly vanish. It’s time to stoke up for migratory flights or a long winter. I did, however, see a flock of geese going north the other day and the male goldfinches still have their sexy, bright yellow feathers…two clues that summer is still with us.

This summer will be remembered for an alarming event as well. Smoke from devastating Canadian wildfires filled the skies for many weeks covering the sun and turning the sun into a fiery red ball at sunset. Mother Earth is sending an urgent message… Take care of me if you want future summers of joy, not sorrow.

6