Summer seemed to last forever when I was a kid…barefoot and carefree. But when the sounds of cicadas filled the August skies, it was a sad signal that the start of school was around the corner. I’ve been vacillating about the month of August ever since, I guess. I know there are very good things about August though and I have to keep telling myself it’s okay. Summer’s ending, but it’s okay. Deep breath. It’s okay.

Good news about the month of August: It’s typically not as hot as July in New England. Overnight temperatures and humidity drop to comfortable levels for great sleeping. Late summer annuals are peaking. No air conditioning needed.

Bad news about August: We’ve been losing sunlight every day since the summer solstice in June but in August, it accelerates. We will lose two to three minutes of daylight each day. We will continue to lose daylight until the winter solstice in December and that can cause me a bit of the blahs. Doesn’t sunshine boost serotonin levels?

Good news about the last full month of summer: the rabbits are here to stay but we have come to an understanding. The neighbors are still having problems but they haven’t learned that a little cayenne pepper on the tips of favorite plants tend to be avoided by sharp teeth. And when they do snap off a bloom, I find they perform an overnight service. They decide what flowers are placed in the fresh flower jar each day. Today the rabbits selected a nice variety…. dill, allium, celosia and snapdragon. Not bad.

Awkward Thing about August: Every year, each store I enter in August has displays of fall pumpkins, decor, and Halloween costumes. I’m not ready. It is disturbing to me, but it may be an age thing. One of my daughters has actually bought new Halloween costumes for the grands. Sigh…

Best Things about August: the bounty of farm fresh corn, tomatoes, peaches. Often mister gardener will serve just a plate stacked high of sweet corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes for dinner. The season for these favorites will pass quickly and can we get enough? No.

Fun things about August: Late season cookouts, barbecues, and gatherings with friends and family and savoring every minute of the great outdoors. And I can be barefoot for the whole month!

When September rolls around, I’ll be more optimistic about the glorious fall season to come and stop dwelling on the loss of summer. The kaleidoscope of fall colors, the crispness in the fall air, pumpkin patch visits with the grands, football, anticipation of Thanksgiving will spur me on.