Can this be August?

Lots of rain keeps the grass growing, even here on the hill.  It drys out and we think we are done with mowing and trimming.  And then here comes a cloud and leaves us with a few more inches.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not complaining.  But this is unusual for August.

I know it is August.  The papers and media are all announcing the best buys for school kids.  Sports teams are starting their practices.  New shoes, new backpacks, and lots of school supplies.  That's the order of the day.

Nights are still on the humid side.  My morning walks are early, and the evening strolls are often taken at sundown.  The birds seem to know it is trending toward fall.  They are already gathering in flocks in preparation for the flight south.

I saw two young bucks in my east field early this morning.  Rather than grazing peacefully side by side, they were nose to nose and looking sternly at each other.  One would back up and lower his rack, making a few tentative swipes at the grass, almost daring the other to charge.  Then the other would prance away, turn and make a charge at the other buck.  It almost seemed as if they were dancing.  Practicing for the season ahead when they would be true competitors. 

Tomatoes are still ripening, and perhaps with all this rain they will continue to bear fruit even into the early fall.  You never know.

Walnut trees are heavy with nuts.  And some of the bushes are already starting to be tinged with orange and red.  

Yes, it is August.  And we are traveling through this year, just like all the others, one month at a time.

Enjoying the unexpected rain.  Sweating through the heat-filled days.  Looking forward to the cooling winds of autumn.  September will be here before we know it.  All we have to do is wait.