The Conservative Edge

I hate to see this summer end. Not because I have been doing anything exciting; it’s just that the weather has been wonderfully mild this year. I can only wish every summer could be like this.

Normally, the weather turns hot and humid by July 4, and stays that way until mid-September. I know there have been times that I wanted to attend some Fourth-of-July gala, but stayed home instead to avoid the dreadful heat and humidity. Furthermore, the lawn usually starts turning brown by August; the need for grass cutting practically goes away.

But this year, things are different. I’ve had to mow the lawn at least once a week since the end of May. Indeed, I just cut the grass twice this week, in August! There aren’t any brown spots in my yard. The grass is as green and lush as it was in April and May. The temperatures have been mild, in the low 80s at most, although this week has been pretty warm.

There are other unusual things happening. My walnut tree has been producing nuts for the last three weeks; the squirrels have been extremely busy. Walnuts generally mature in mid to late August, but they are definitely ahead of schedule this year. I’ve also noticed falling leaves from my magnolia tree, and a couple of oak trees elsewhere that have leaves changing colors already. I’ve driven past some farms, and some fields are bountiful with soybeans, while other fields have corn that is a good seven feet tall. It looks like some crops are ready to harvest. It’s absolutely incredible.

All over this area of the state, I see no evidence of global warming-related stress or other weather disruptions. Even the white-tailed deer have been active this summer. I’ve been contemplating making a prediction for an early fall, but there seems to be no need for that now. It’s obvious that autumn will arrive earlier than normal. As much as I love fall–is there a lovelier month than October?–I’m going to regret the passing of Summer 2009.