Summer's End

Welcome to the last act of summer. The tomato plants are showing their age, and cucumber production has slowed. Basil from a second planting in July is going strong but will flower soon, and that will be that. We’re still getting great pole beans, and there are lots of squash blossoms on summer squash plants that were part of a second planting last month. Black bears got our corn again this season. We have tons of sunflowers and zinnias, hot peppers, arugula, ginger, and herbs. I jarred up tomato sauce this week. And our peach trees are giving us big, sweet peaches – the best we’ve had so far. Today, I picked up a large bag of hyacinth bulbs for winter indoor forcing. They’ll go into the fridge for 14-16 weeks to sleep. Then, when the snow flies, I’ll pull them out and pot them up.

Summer reading has focused mostly on astrology, which I now know is far too broad and deep a subject to self-teach. So, I’ve contacted two respected entities in the state: the Astrological Society of Connecticut, and the Academy of AstroPsychology, headquartered in Haddam.

While there are no astrology degree programs in the U.S., ASC and the academy offer in-depth studies in astrology and astropsychology, respectively. Astropsychology is a hybrid astrology/psychology discipline that explores ideas like personality theory and uses diagnostic tools like birth charts to explain human behavior.

My husband and I have been on the boat a lot and out of the house, and I haven’t been doing much creative cooking except for Kenyan fare, which we both like.

As deeply as I love the ocean, I’ve been talking to my husband about the possibility of living at least a few years in the Colorado/Utah/Nevada area. Truth is, all my life I’ve felt torn between life on the water or life as a mountain girl. Both possibilities bring me joy. Lately, I’ve been feeling the mountains calling. Ideally, we would settle in an area that offers water as well as high altitudes, like Tahoe. Skiing in July in short sleeves? Yes, please. But the man isn’t feeling it like I am, so I think when we leave Connecticut, we’ll be making a beeline to the ocean. I can be at peace with that. It’s hard to beat the tide rolling in at your feet.

We have nine days until September. The days are just sprinting past us. Soon, I’ll be keeping a kettle of tea warm all day to chase away chills. The awesome freedom of bare feet and few clothes will be exchanged for boots and layers. And the nights will become long and dark. I’m not going to bum myself out about it. We’ll find ways to be of service through winter; and being of service brings the greatest peace. Love the pitcher less and the water more.

Barbie xo