Monday, August 19, 2013

Changing Seasons

I've always believed there were at least 8 seasons, and now I'm thinking there are 12.  At almost any time of the year you can find numerous indications that the seasons are changing.  Right now it's the shorter daylight that I notice most.  Evenings in particular seem to end much earlier, and in the morning there's a heavy dew on the grass.  But there are also lots of other indications that we're in late summer.


The big one is the leaves changing colour - just a few yet, but some quite noticeably, like this sumach leaf I saw along the Beaver River last week.

The dogwoods always seem to be among the first to turn, usually to a dark dull purple, here with the sun shining through the leaf making it a little brighter, in our own meadow.

 But it's when the meadow turns yellow with goldenrod that I really know August is moving ahead and late summer is here.  This year it seems to have flown past faster than ever!

While out in the landscape, the grain harvest is mostly over, usually leaving behind these big square bales of straw.  I think most of them are shipped off over the fall and winter for use as bedding in horse barns.  In any case, summer is nearly over.


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16 comments:

  1. Oh wow, those colors are so pretty and it's getting me really excited for the Autumn. We have had nothing but hot hot hot out here in the Kootenays so it feels like summer will never end. Ugh. But yes, I have noticed the days are getting shorter, so therefore the heat ends sooner in the day. Beautiful photos!

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  2. Nice pix. It's the goldenrod that does it for me too. That and the Ex starting...

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  3. Yes, it definitely feels and looks like late summer now for sure!

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  4. I am looking forward to the fall colors. I love the field with the bales of hay! Lovely photos, thanks for sharing. Have a happy week!

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  5. It is changing fast!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  6. Beautiful pictures. I particularly like the one with the bale of straw. An other sign of fall coming is the way gardens look "tired" even if there are new blooms.

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    1. You're right, parts of our garden are definitely tired, while others are still coming on strong.

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  7. That last photo made me think you were in the UK, won't be long befors our seasons start to change

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  8. I took the last of the garden goodies (other than the squash which is still going) out of my garden, which means summer is almost over. And yes, the dark mornings when I wake... love your pictures. :-)

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    1. Sounds like your season is even shorter than ours.

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  9. We are seeing signs of fall in nature here as well. I love the last photos of the bales in the field.

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  10. Love the goldenrod with the Queen Anne's lace!

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  11. I never really thought about having more than 4 seasons, but I think you're on to something when you say that: it really is amazing how you can glance out the window and just by the angle of the sun, the flowers in bloom and wherever the trees are in their transition, you know exactly what month it is!

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    1. I'm accumulating observations and thinking about how I can actually define 12 different times of year.

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  12. Thank you all for visiting, and I'm glad that most of you agree with me about the seasons.

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