One September Morning

I love these September mornings. The air is crisp and almost chilly. Sunlight brightens the treetops and leaves the lower leaves in shadow. My front flower garden is still mostly blooming, although some of the plants are decidedly drooping. Two giant marigolds have buds and are about to flower. Joe Pye has done all he’s going to do this season and his small blooms are now sporting gray, dandelion-type seeds. Joe Pye is a weed with a history. He has a story to tell. Just look him up.

After being warned that the cicadas would be extra loud this season, I was prepared for their grating song to be intrusive. It wasn’t. They didn’t sound any louder than usual. I found only a few of their outgrown husks stuck to my screen.

The squirrels are stirring and beginning to think about collecting acorns for winter. Having two oaks, my yard will offer an abundant supply, but I have a feeling the squirrels that inhabit my yard are disdainful of having to work so hard for a living. They are probably counting on living the good life feasting on seeds I put out for wintertime birds. This winter, though, I am prepared. My squirrel-proof bird feeder has worked so far and I’m counting on it to allow the hungry birds to eat the seeds that were meant for them. The squirrels? Well, as I’ve said, they have an abundance of nuts although I’m sure they think bird seed is much easier to get.

A couple of days ago, I saw a squirrel perched on my deck railing, munching at something large. Had it caught a bird? But no, when I checked, it was a large magnolia seed pod, filched from my neighbor’s tree. So, they do eat seeds when one is handy.

September mornings are slower for some things, busier for others. School children, buses, and teachers are adjusting to fall schedules. But the flowers? Ah well, the flowers aren’t bothered by such things and they know another, chillier season is on the way.