The end summer haze

Funky flowers from my travels

Much of the region I live in has been on fire, the consequence of the hot conditions that are only now beginning to wind down. Although these fires are over my horizon, a few days ago the smoke filled the sky--to the point, I found myself staring at the sun wondering if it was the moon. There was even one night I could taste the fires and couldn’t help but wonder if the smoke was approaching a concentration that would set my smoke alarm off (thankfully, the alarm never went off).

Overall, the metaphor of a smoke filled haze perfectly describes my last month. The temperatures have been hotter than I’m comfortable with. We’ve been on the road a lot, rushing to see far off family and friends. It has been fantastic to see everyone, but sleeping on beds that are not my own has aggravated my insomnia often leaving me feeling groggy, like I’ve got my own, internal smokey haze.

A selection of this year's pretty beans

While my attention was on all the things above, the crops in my urban garden matured and were ready to harvest. To add urgency the first rain in months was forecasted to fall. We rushed to bring in all the dried beans and amaranth before the rain could start a cascade of mildew and mold. We cleared the bean field and all the volunteer amaranth just hours before water started falling from the sky. Check out the pretty beans.

I’m looking forward to the fall--my household schedule will normalize. I’m looking forward to the cool air and cozy evenings indulging in homemade soups and stews. I’m also looking forward to the garden winding down and finding more time to write.