Back in the Rain Forest.

9-22-11 SHORT HILLS: Our flirtation with freezing is over. Today dawned hot, muggy, humid, overcast and foggy. There was some rain last night, and the ground was wet and the leaves were dripping—NJ rain forest. The air is heavy, visible and totally still. The ‘squeeters are quite active.

I’m back in shorts and tees, I always say, “Dress for the thermometer, not by the calender.” I did some clean up in the pool area and was soaked after a few minutes of raking up branches and soggy leaves.

A few weeks ago, I rescued a butterfly bush buried by an aggressive hydrangea, and now it’s busy blooming again.

Tomorrow morning, 5:04 EDT is the moment when the sun sinks below the Equator, day and night are of equal length, although the day seem longer than the night because of twilight after sunset and before sunrise. That passage marks the beginning of our fall and then winter. Our falls and winters may seem longer than the spring and summers, but are actually a few days shorter.

Add up the days: September-7 + October-31 + November-30 + December-31 + January-31 + February-29 + March-20 = 179. [The Vernal Equinox is March 20th.] Next year, a Leap Year, will have 366 days, so 366 – 179 = 187 days for next spring and summer—8 days more than the upcoming fall and winter. Now, don’t you feel better about winter?


Dark, dank and muggy morning.

Butterfly Bush looks cheery even on a dull morning.