The problem with blogging about a life lived cyclically, in harmony with the seasons, is that the topics eventually become redundant. Today is Lughnasad, or Lammas, the first day of autumn in the Celtic calendar, which I wrote about last year, and the year before that. As the cycle of the season turns, we do once more what we did at this time last year, which means we’re also talking and thinking about those same things, while looking for something new to say in the blog.
As we enter my favorite season—only slightly more beloved than the other three—I feel mentally prepared for it. I’ve acted on a reader’s suggestion, and have begun reading David Abram’s The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World (paid link) (check your local independent bookstore). I haven’t gotten very far, as our busiest time of year keeps me from sitting down with a good book, while the audio books that accompany me into the field get preference. Besides, this book—so far—seems worthy of my whole attention, so I’m careful to read it only when I have time for an entire section or chapter without distractions. It seems highly appropriate to read about connecting with Nature at this season, when life is at its most active. I anticipate watching the changes around me from a new point of view, or, if not new to me, at least a more informed one.
If the current weather holds, the transition from summer to autumn won’t be the same as it was last year. While the rest of the country seems to be in the grip of a sweltering heat wave, our weather is classically autumnal. In fact, even though the passing summer was quite dry, it wasn’t particularly warm here. It feels far more like autumn now at this early date than it often does.