The first day of Autumn, and still Summer lingers with us.  

A warm day and I spent the afternoon in the back garden, reading, 

and then finally stirring myself to gather up the 

great leaves of the squash and cucumber and pumpkin that I planted,

 and alas, had only a very meager harvest.  However, before the lovely leaves

 began to shred and dry they made a wonderful show at the edge of the deck.

And the nicotiana perfumed the night so intensely that the scent wafted 

through the open window, along the hall, and into my bedroom

However, I am now with Rilke, and his words about Autumn. 

I think that I have posted his poem before, 

but perhaps not this particular translation by Galway Kinnell and Hannah Liebmann.

Lord it is time.  The summer was immense.

Lay your shadow on the sundials

and let loose the wind in the fields.

Bid the last fruits to be full;

give them another two more southerly days,

press them to ripeness, and chase

the last sweetness into the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house now will not build one anymore.

Whoever is alone now will remain so for a long time,

will stay up, read, write long letters,

and wander the avenues, up and down,

restlessly, while the leaves are blowing.

The grape harvest is not yet underway here in the valley,

but the orchards are busy with apple pickers and the alders and the poplars,

 high in the hills, mark the creeks they edge with gold.

I have determined to spend this coming week in the garden.

Those beautiful but ubiquitous yellow daisies have more or less taken over

even providing fierce competition for the Chinese Underground Railway

and the bright orange lanterns they festoon their

stations with.

I hope to move the daisies to another spot (not yet determined)

to make room for the lilies which suffered under the great growth and 

shade of the hazel nut tree this summer.  I think that this side garden

is going to end up being a haven for hostas

with the poppies and the delphinium also moving elsewhere.

Well, all these plans for the garden add a great

deal of enthusiasm to life

and I am not yet ready for the pile of books,

the easy chair, and my knitting!!

By the way, I didn't get to the Pepper Festival, but spent the morning yesterday
helping to provide coffee to fifty or so
Anglicans who were on a rally, visiting South Okanagan Parishes,
and the afternoon playing the organ at a funeral
for an old and dear friend I used to play hand bells with, but I heard
the music that sounded throughout the town
and it was hot and peppy!