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The Artist’s
Almanac
August 2004
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Let’s Do Away With
August the title of a book by a late friend of mine, Elmer
Hinton, a journalist and a wise country philosopher.
His argument for a
throwaway month made some good points: August is the month of ticks,
chiggers, crabgrass, poison ivy, burnt up flower gardens, scummy
ponds, heat inversions, first football practice, back to school
time, sweat bees, horseflies, on and on.
All true, but not
truly all. We are comparing it to spring and early summer, or to
glorious autumn. Think instead of February.
August and February
are the two least popular months of the year, without even major
holidays to relieve them. Both are the second month following a
solstice. Yet they are exact opposites in every respect, August and
February are; hot or cold, rainy or dry; muddy or dusty; darkness or
light; stormy or still; barren or fruitful; sickly or healthy. Which
set of these would we prefer?
We were spoiled last
month by the most beautiful July of memory, with noon cloudscapes of
Olympian grandeur, daily rainfall, blowsy green trees, northerly
breezes, and cool days with long sleeve nights. Tomatoes are
flourishing, along with bountiful squash, peaches, pears, green
beans, watermelons, new potatoes, pie apples, cantaloupes and
cucumbers. Daylilies and crepe myrtle are finishing, the roses have
never stopped, and should carry us until frost.
August will bring corn
and ripe figs for preserves and drying. Burley, and soybeans will
follow, and cotton after that. Ripening and harvest can only take
place when it is dry, and hot. Generous Mother Nature gives us a dry
season in which to harvest, and harvest is what August is all about.
Next winter as we sort
our summer photos into albums we will look at children in canoes at
camp, posing at picnics, riding ponies and cavorting in swimming
pools on the lawn and ask ourselves, in what green paradise did all
this take place?
And as for holidays,
the 17th is my birthday and the 31st the anniversary of my wedding
to Claudia. Those august occasions are enough for me to make this
month a keeper.
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