autumn equinox 2019

Three months go by quickly, especially when they represent a season that only lasts two months locally.  But July and August were beautiful months here in Nova Scotia—the average high temp in my area was 25C (77F)*.  That has long been my ideal hot-enough summer temperature.   

If I were simply weighing on a scale a two-month summer against a six-month winter, I wouldn’t have moved back from the west coast.  After two years I still don’t feel I have completely reacclimatized, but my reasons for moving home make the winter worth it.

Yesterday morning, friends and I walked the overgrown road through the woodland on the MBR property.  The entire weekend was a gloriously sunny and warm send-off to summer, but we’ve had some cool days already this month—I’ve seen smoke from woodstoves, farmers and gardeners have had multiple frost warnings, and the temp was below freezing one morning. 

I was excited by my first sighting of a snake since I moved here—it was a Northern Ribbon Snake sunning itself on the trailer pad (probably as shocked as I was by the drop in temp).  I haven’t needed a wood fire in the tiny house yet but, for a walk one morning last week, I broke out the long underwear from the out-of-season clothing bin. 

So goodbye to summer 2019—along with checking off important items on the Master Procrastinator List, I packed in lots of visits with family and friends.  Sadly, I also said goodbye to a friend and neighboUr who passed on, a lovely man who shared his gardening wisdom with me and who I will miss celebrating this equinox with.

Leaves are changing coloUr already but, because of the damage to trees and loss of leaves due to Hurricane Dorian on September 7th, I’m not expecting the autumn foliage to be as dramatic as usual in October.  By my next seasonal update, I plan to be living in an apartment and preparing for a simpler, more social, less rustic, and less isolated winter.  I am open to finding new reasons to justify a six-month winter.

*Based on the government weather site data, this year’s average high temp in my area for July/August was about 2C (36F) lower than last year’s. 

References and related links:

• MBR: Minas Basin Retreat, the property where I am living in my tiny house. The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy (with the world’s highest tides).
• summer #55 (post #117)
• nature (post #101)
• Government of Canada Weather Site