Premature Autumn

Since it seems that autumn is a little ahead of schedule here, due to the dry, hot weather, I decided to give the blog a new look. Autumn-style. There are 17 days before the autumnal equinox, which occurs this year on September 22nd at 11:44:18 EDT.

The sun crosses the equator and night and day are of approximately the same length. From that point on, the days will gradually get shorter and the nights longer until late in December, when the sun begins its journey back northward.

I enjoy fall, with its unique sights and smells and feel, and wish it would last longer than it does. I don't even mind raking leaves, which we've already begun doing - much too early. The Buckeye tree and one of the willows have already lost all their leaves. When the summer is droughtish, as it has been for the last two summers, we pray that the early shedding of leaves doesn't mean that the shrubs and trees have given up the fight.

Spring will bring the answer and it's only six short months away...