IN PRAISE OF AUGUST

My August posts will sing the praises of this unsung month. From an early age, I’ve felt that August is a step-sister month. It has nothing much to offer by way of celebration – except, of course, my birthday and my childhood pal’s. (Happy birthday, Chris!) She was born early in the month and I at the end, and both of us grew up hearing stories about that hot August of 1949. My brother’s birthday is also in August – and I’ve added many special August dates to the calendar as life went on, including my daughter’s wedding anniversary.

But, aside from personal events, August has no official celebrations – no national holidays and not even an unofficial "fun day," like Halloween or Grandparents’ Day. It’s a vacation month, the back-to-school month, and in our part of the world, it’s harvest. So, it’s play, work, or get ready to work in August – take your pick.

August can be a warm month, or it can be a little on the cool side. The nights can be hot, as in “hot August nights,” or you might need an evening wrap, an extra blanket on your bed, and a sweatshirt in the morning -- you never know. “Always take a sweater,” was my mother’s mantra when we left the house. One thing is certain -- somehow the days begin to feel like fall. Just the fact that the days are shorter makes a difference, but sometimes there’s a cool quality to the air even on a hot day.

August might mean work but also signals nice things. We eat of the garden’s bounty and put up the extra for winter. We bake zucchini bread and make jams and jellies. We wait and watch as the apples and pears ripen. We can buy local corn and melons. We hope we get some tomatoes before Jack Frost arrives.

It’s just the great “get ready” month. Get ready for what? For summer’s last hurrah. For Labor Day weekend. For county fairs, “elderberry fest,” “Octoberfest,” – and then Halloween, Thanksgiving, and yes – even Christmas. The year is moving right along, especially if there are things on your 2013 “to-do” list.

So, to begin the August celebration, Mike is participating in the “31 days of geocaching” challenge sponsored by geocaching.com. On our way to the farm yesterday (August 3), we picked up a cache near Lenore. The views were spectacular. That’s the Clearwater River and Highway 12. Today he rode his dirt bike down the Greer Grade to pick up a cache at Greer.

Last night we watched the deer coming closer and closer to the house from the south. Eventually one took a drink from the pond, and as she and her companion continued to graze, they watched the house closely. I managed to take these pictures before they bounded out of sight.

This afternoon I made my first batch of black hawthorn jelly. “Insipid” is the word my tree book uses to describe “haws,” but other writers had good things to say. I just wanted to try it as part of my foraging effort. We picked a gallon of berries this morning, and then I cooked and strained them for juice. I followed the rest of the jelly-making process, ending with four jars of sealed hawthorn jelly. It’s mild, but I like it.

And here’s one last photo of the day: Hallie and Nick’s garden plot in West Seattle. They spent considerable time weeding this weekend. KW