Summer on the Wind Down

The native plants are the instruments in my yard, while the wildlife are the musicians. 

I wish I could remember the first time I saw a Monarch butterfly. I don’t know if I was 16, 26, or even 6. What would my first thought have been? Would it be elation? Wonder? I will never know. Nowadays, from spring through the fall, I am more acutely aware of Monarchs. I have learned a tremendous amount recently, just by being more present in the outdoor world around me. Watching the native plants in my yard on a day to day ebb and flow. Yet to this day I am still continually learning something new. I knew the first official day of fall was near when I sat down to write this homepage update, but what I didn’t know until now is the meaning behind the Autumnal Equinox. I didn’t know that the word “equinox” means loosely, “equal night”. Truly, it depends on where you live if both the day and the night are equal. And there is a lot of astronomical information that I won’t get into on this page. But, the sun shines a little differently now than it did even just a few weeks ago. So while we say goodbye to summer for now, we are also shifting to a warm blanket and hot cup of tea time of year, and that is the vibe in the air. A sprinkle of pumpkin spice is optional.

Not unlike the changing seasons, and the months that bring new sentiments, this blog is a meditation on events that take place in my backyard. Ever since we planted native plants and trees a few years ago, my life-long passion of being a writer had no place to go but onto this page. And the pages that follow. And the pages that are to come. I am not a specially trained master gardener, nor do know everything there is to know about seed harvesting or which plants prefer which acidity. But here is what I do know: the creatures that I share my home with are a constant nudge to write. To share, to inspire. To teach what I continue to learn about everyday. I hope you enjoy and come back often!