What Happened to the Summer?

8-11-11 VERMONT: We had more rain, another 0.8 inches. We’re good for a week or so. Today was beautiful, seventies, breezy, clear skies and low humidity. Our landscapers have been here parts of the last two days working on the pasture which has been invaded by trees, white pine and aspen, various shrubs and weeds—mint, thistle, burdock. They are cutting down all the invasives so the whole thing can be brush-hogged to try and get it back to mostly grass. Brady the horse just eats grass where he finds it, but none of the other stuff. I was inspired by their efforts and the great, cool day to get out the DR Trimmer and go around the barns, garden, roses. I had to repair it twice, a loose screw on the clutch plate and then an oily air filter, caused by the first repair.

On that point, land here wants to be mixed forest of evergreens and deciduous trees. Pastures, gardens and yards, if neglected, gradually turn back into forest.

Usually I mow a few times a summer, but this year has been so busy with other jobs that I haven’t gotten to it. It occurred to me today that I have been doing a bunch of non-recurring projects—pumpkin cart rebuild, benches rebuild, cellar door rebuild, kitchen cabinet rebuild [with the soapstone sink installation], and even splitting the downed maple tree wood. They’re not regular, yearly jobs. Well, there’s always next year. Oh yeah, has anyone noticed how it’s now dark at eight instead of nine. The summer is slipping away.

New blooms: star clematis.


Does that flag look off? You can't tell, but it has 15 stars and 15 stripes. It's the flag that was flying at Ft. McHenry when Francis Scott Key wrote the 'Star Spangled Banner', and accordingly, is known by that name. Thirteen of the stars and stripes are for the original thirteen colonies, and the other two of each are for Vermont and Kentucky. This is why we fly it at our 1791 farm house. You probably thought we lost the other stars in the stock market. Later, when more states joined up, Congress decided to return to thirteen stripes and add only new stars for new states. Rarely has Congress displayed such good sense since.