I’m glad this summer is just about over. Aside from a few really lovely highlights, I have to say overall it has not been one of the better ones, and that’s the polite version of what I could really say about it. It has been a hard one, not just for me but for some of my family and friends as well. But hints of rusty reds and golds are already appearing here and there, letting us know it’s “soon” and on to the next chapter.

When the first cooler, breezier, blue-sky days hit about a week ago, it was almost as if a collective “Ahhhhhh” could be heard throughout the region. Hopefully the crappiest aspects of it are behind us. Weatherwise, there will probably be a few more throwback-to-summer days, but as far as I am concerning, I’m done. Done, with a really big D. Done with the frizz-inducing, bug-filled, sluggish humidity and looking forward to cool currents through open windows ideal for sleeping and the wistful melancholy that the fall palette provides, paired with invigorating winds, spicy aromas, moody clouds and electric blue skies.

Until the afternoon trajectory of the sun turns to an oven blast, this west-facing chair on The Urban Porch is where I’ll be typing this. Bees drowsily bounce around the Rose of Sharon and alight to taste the petunias in the flower pot nearest my shoulder.

Sparrows repeatedly visit the water-filled dish that the spent basil plant sits in. There were just six or seven of them sipping together, making a rather cute picture, but when I raised my camera they took off in a flurry towards the house next door.

The hellish mosquitos appear to be mostly gone. The pesky yellow-jackets barely arrived (at least not yet.) There are a few Spotted Lantern Flies here and there but for the most part they are moving on to other places. One was clinging to the hood of my car – I can see how easily it has been for them to hitch rides and infest new locations.

There is a lot of renovation action happening. Oudated aluminum siding was stripped off to reveal the original bones beneath, then covered with insulation and the beginnings of new siding, soffits and part of the roof added. An entire crew has been working at a rapid pace – noisily – but they have stopped for a lunch break at the moment.

A few houses down, old asbestos shingles sequestering an 1800’s structure have also been removed to reveal the original boards below. It has been exciting to see some of the neighborhood homes being stripped down to their skivvies and restored to their original glory. I wonder what this house and rotting porch where I sit would reveal if it were freed from some of the renovations done by previous owners. It is unlikely I will ever get to find out.

Renegade squirrels (or the one culprit) have been busy pulling the sunflower heads off the stalks and depositing them in a mess on the front porch

where the birds then arrive to join the feast of scattered seeds.

They have been busy on the back porch too. For the first time ever, the box where the chives grow has been dug up to create a winter stash. How annoying. I know one of the busy ones happens to have a distinctive white spot on its right shoulder. I will watch to see who the main culprit is.

Cutting back the milkweed that had extended itself into the driveway was a reminder of why it is called “Milkweed,” as the latex sap dripped out of the stems.

Colors of the season are emerging, The Oranges coming forth. Petals wilt from echinacea flower heads, leaving patterns to admire.

Glossy feathers from a local rooster echo autumnal hues.

Vibrating rays of volunteer sunflowers glow by the front path (the squirrels don’t even need to look very far)

and even the Clivia that did not bloom all year suddenly decided to do so. This Clivia is easily thirty or more years old. It is from another lifetime. I have separated it many times to share.

Even the eggs seem to give Fall-like impressions. The hens are already laying less as the days get shorter, which will require finding another source for winter time omelets.

Seriously? Turning my back in what feels like a minute, more sunflower heads have been deposited on the steps! They work fast!

Beyond The Urban Porch – after not doing it for a while, I began checking the backyard camera again to see which night visitors were stopping by. Aside from the usual opossums, it was a surprise to see a deer in this urban setting the other night, only because it must have walked down the paved road and wandered down the driveway to get here.

Almost every other place I’ve lived has been filled with a daily quota of deer (There go my hostas! There go my day lilies and rhododendrons!) but seeing one appear off The Urban Porch definitely gives a different vibe.

As this small city is surrounded by rail trails and patches of wooded areas, it’s not the first time it has happened. An occasional bear will wander into town and up a tree, drawing attention. There have been coyotes and fishers across the street and fox in the back yard. They are here, but usually elusive and few. In the past I’ve awoken to see a buck standing in the middle of the empty street in the early dawn light, before the school busses and morning traffic begins. And then there was the traumatic event where a poor yearling buck in the throes of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) ended up in this yard (Passing of the Buck 10/5/2020) Luckily this overnight visitor appeared healthy and was just passing through.

And so we move into the next phase. Frogs of summertime will be burrowing away preparing for dormancy. The children who caught them in their hands are heading back to school.

Spiders are tucking into crevices (did I mention The Big Spider?)

Hopefully the bats will take off for warmer climates so I will be able to go up into the attic this fall and clear a few things out without fear of surprises.

So, so glad Summer is almost over, teetering here on the verge – the time of squash and corn and pumpkins and apples upon us. Harvest days. Here again, every year, going into it with a tinge of excitement and renewed hope.

~*~