Today we are on the cusp of the last month of our meteorological summer. As I’m getting ready to turn the page of the calendar to August, it’s not something I want to do, but yet it is reality. These yellows of summer will soon be fading, much as our daylight hours are already diminishing. Yet, I remind myself that change is good and often we must go through change to get to something better. Without the cold and snow of winter, we would not have the beautiful forests and trees that grace our state. Ten years ago I moved to Minnesota – truly a huge change after living 30 years in Washington state. I am amazed at the things I’ve seen and learned, and humbled by the changes in my life. I’ve learned that a mid-west winter can be survived (and embraced) with temperatures that remain below zero; that frozen lakes can be driven on; that hockey can be played on those same frozen lakes; that there are small little “houses” that spring up on those frozen lakes where people ice fish; that a horizon line that goes off into the distance as far as I can see holds immense beauty and openness; that thunderstorms can be as beautiful as they are sometimes destructive; and that the colors of autumn are intense and beautiful, yet they can’t be timed to the calendar each year. But the biggest thing I’ve learned is that life continues and we adjust – we can chose to adapt and embrace those changes and live our lives fully. My life has become bigger with all those changes and new experiences, and I know that there will be more in the future ahead, just like the inevitable change in the seasons.
florals
Brightness and colors of summer
The landscape is filled with the bright colors of summer now. Everywhere I look I see deep greens accented with yellows, pinks, reds, blues, and whites. The contrasts are clear and glorious. Where once the scenery was mono or duo-tone, we now have an array of shades and hues to rest our eyes on. In our backyard, the coneflowers and rudbeckia are in full flower. They are similar, yet so different in their patterns and petals and I never tire of studying them. It’s a delightful time to get lost and absorb all the wonders that Mother Nature provides during our short-lived summer months in Minnesota.
Peonies in full bloom
With a burst of color, the peonies have come into bloom. Their fragrance is brought to full fruition by the breeze that blows through the bushes, carrying the scent across the yard. And when I’ve brought the bouquets into the house, I can catch the fragrance as I walk from room to room. Perhaps it’s because they are short-lived that I look forward to their bloom each year. Or perhaps it’s because they remind me of my childhood – my parents’ love of peonies and the tradition of taking them to my relatives’ grave sites on Memorial Day. I’m especially thankful that these pink peonies are from the plants that were my parents’.
Clematis in bloom
Like the anticipation of spring, the same is true of the clematis bloom. They grow in spurts as the weather warms, the buds form, and they burst into bloom almost over night. The anticipation is part of the joy, because their bloom doesn’t last long. The heat, the wind, the rain – any of those will take the delicate petals off the vine. This Lemon Chiffon clematis bloomed this past week with a plethora of blossoms and a light scent that filled the air. Within the week, the rain and wind took the blossoms, scattering them on the ground. Like so many things, their beauty is short but is meant to be appreciated even more because of that.
Scent of lilacs
Not only has spring blossomed into our visual senses, but it has now spread its delightful scents throughout the air. With a few days of warming temperatures the lilacs quickly burst into bloom. How wonderful to be stopped in my tracks when their scent was being carried by the light breeze across the yard! To me, that is the true sign of spring’s arrival and the dismissal of the dark of winter.
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