Heather is the gardener in our house. I poke around a bit and build a planter box now and then. I’ve also built large parts of the irrigation system, but Heather is the gardener. We have workdays every few weeks where Heather makes a list of what I need to in the yard.
Yesterday was a work day. There were the normal things like trim the hedge, cut the grape vine, clean the shed, and stuck in the middle of the list was:
“Put away summer.”
Hum – Interesting metaphor, and comment on the season were my first thoughts. Of course Heather meant to put the patio umbrellas, chairs, tables and other items we bring out for the warm weather – our summer stuff.
As the season changes and the cool autumn winds blows, it’s time for long pants and hot soups.
Change is in the air. Yesterday there were fluffy clouds drifting overhead. Clouds moved in this afternoon as the wind picked up and started shaking the green leaves with their warning of rain on the way.
So yesterday, we cleaned the shed and put away the chairs that we sit on to eat lunch after church every week. We closed up umbrellas and put the little tables in their winter home. Tea will now be an indoor activity.
We put away summer.
While the winds blow, the rain falls and autumn turns to winter, you’ll find me looking out at the patio and checking the list until I see:
“Set up summer.”
Till next time,
Andrew
Andrew, we have been “putting away summer” hear near Washington, D.C. What an apt and beautiful metaphor. And thanks for your interest in and support of the novels I put on line. It’s good to know that you’re among those reading them.
Take care and be well.
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Put away summer. Perfect phrase! 🙂
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Yes, the moment I saw it, I knew it was perfect.
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Set up summer–very cute. I was just thinking yesterday how it’s nice that we live in a climate that gets seasons. It keeps life interesting. Those poor saps along the equator.
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It’s boring down there. Much exciting around here.
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True.
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Aw, how sad to put away summer and drink tea indoors! Since we’ve moved to the coast, I drink tea outdoors as much as possible – even when it’s 5 degrees Celsius, I get out my chair cushion and my coat and a blanket for my legs and drink my tea outside anyway. But when it gets below freezing, I reluctantly move indoors. At least the below-freezing days aren’t too frequent around here! 🙂
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It’s a bit sad. I have a chair by the window where I drink my winter tea.
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Same here.
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It’s always a little sad for me, putting away summer. I love setting up in spring. But winter will be here soon. Though I hope not too soon.
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I’m already ready to put away winter – maybe if I don’t set it up, it won’t come.
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In your place the seasons are so different, I like reading about them. In my place we have only two seasons, summer and rainy season. My daughter lives in Germany, she sent a photo of a tree in front of her house with golden leaves. The weather has become cooler there. Regards
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Much of California south of where I live has the same two seasons wet/dry. We get a little bit of fall/spring when the temperatures dip. Germany and Europe gets all four seasons.
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I think Heather has a poetic phrase or two left in her. I welcome she guest blog on this site and maybe share her thoughts on the wind up of summer and the anticipation of seasons.
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She has more poet in her than she’ll admit too, but doesn’t write that much – she does a lot of oil painting though.
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I like that phrase, need to remember it. I’ve been wearing sweaters and boots for a few weeks now, and yesterday — oh my! — we turned on the furnace. 🍂
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Wow, I don’t expect to turn on the furnace until November.
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In Phoenix we usually waited until after Thanksgiving.
We worried we were being wimps turning it on so soon here, then found out our neighbors had theirs on for almost a week.
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Out here the lower winter gas rates kick in on Nov 1, so I keep the heater off because I’m cheap.
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💖
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It’s supposed to be in the mid-80’s here until mid October. Unseasonably warm. But the leaves are starting to change. Very surreal!
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We’ve been unusually cool out here this summer. Weather’s gone wacky – just like congress…
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True dat!
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I’m definitely ready to put away summer, but it keeps setting itself back up. Seriously, I enjoyed the peaceful, winsome quality of this post, Andrew.
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Thanks for your kind words and I’d better go check that the chairs didn’t break out of the shed – didn’t know they could do that!
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Fall is in the air, and even we “down south” are supposed to have a little rain this week. I have my fingers crossed, but I think it’s better that I don’t hold my breath!
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Not sure we’ll get much out of this storm system, looks like a few drops over night. Yes, don’t hold your breath, up here storms tend to move either just north or just south of us.
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I’m happy that you didn’t put away your memories of summer, Andrew. Thanks for the reminder and the nod to next year.
Ω
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Memories stay in the head, not the shed.
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I keep trying to put away summer and make room for fall, but so far I’ve not completely succeeded.
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We weren’t complete in our putting away – we kept the swing seat out, just in case we get a few more warm days.
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I love Heather’s summary of a to-do list…”put away summer.” I will use that for Bill!
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I am sure he’ll like it.
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That is a lovely way of putting it. I may borrow that phrase from Heather.
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Of course – use it all you want.
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That’s a lovely phase, put away summer. I guess winter just melts; that’s what I look forward to.
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Love that phrase, “winter just melts.”
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We haven’t put away summer quite yet here, but I’m longing to do so! We are enjoying very cool nights and early mornings, but still have some summer-like temps.
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It’s that time of year for mixed weather. Today is likely to be warm and tomorrow has a chance of rain.
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Put away summer I wish. Here in Alabama it is still hot; right at 90 degrees almost every day this week. The pastor of our church once described the seasons here as winter, early summer, summer and late summer. Enjoy your cooler weather. 🙂
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I like his description. Here in NorCal we generally get two seasons – wet and dry with dry lasting most of the year.
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The only saving grace to putting away summer this year is that summer was pretty terrible. Too much rain.
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Out here in CA we had a mild summer and no rain. Could you send your extra rain out here?
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With the greatest pleasure!
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Thanks!
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Must be nearly time to change the clocks. I always hated the end of October when I went to work in the dark and came home in the dark. At least when we were back on GMT I got to see daylight at one end of the day.
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It’s getting close. Here we change them in just a few weeks.
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