Sunny Fall days say, “Slow down,” observe the last of the summer flowers.
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‘Slow down’ is exactly what this morning is about. To move any slower would invite rigor mortis to set in. And the quiet Sunday morning porch is a perfect spot for letting nature do the movement. And it’s alive with activity. It senses time is getting short.
The last of the summer flowers in my daughter’s garden are magnificent. They seem to summon up all the sap and energy that’s left and create a canvas of colorful blossoms. They’re blooming like there’s no tomorrow, which for them is pretty much the case.
And Fall’s final fling for small winged creatures—butterflies of all colors (white, yellow, Monarchs), black moth butterflies and bees of all sizes—creates a scene of constant movement as if the garden itself were alive.
Which this morning is more than can be said for Sea Island. If it were any quieter, it’d resemble a cemetery. The Bulldawg Nation is apparently sleeping off the hangover celebration of BBQ and suds from tailgate parties in Jacksonville. Whatever hopes the Gators had for an upset were pure fantasy.
As history reported about 7:00 Saturday night, the Dawgs convinced Florida how UGA is still rated Number 1 in the polls. It didn’t take much convincing as it turned out. There’s always next year to fantasize over.
But this is about the last flowers of summer. Our gardens are not of the hot-plant variety. These types of flowers, like flashy runway models in a Ralph Lauren fashion show, are pretty to look at, but not practical for pollination. No pollen. And without pollen, a garden is dead, no matter how beautiful it appears.
My daughter’s gardens are “pollenating gardens,” gardens filled with indigenous perennial species of plants that attract every insect native to the island. Brilliant yellow sunflowers, hibiscus that blossom white and turn pink, gilded golden rod and pink lantana.
Then there’s the bidens family, an invasive but prolific wild-weed aster whose seeds are clingers like beggar lice, reminiscent of another family species known for its ability to cling. These all coexist and thrive in nature’s perfect harmony for a sustainable garden. It is a miracle to behold. Which is why it’s worth observing this morning. We need more miracles to observe.
Some think the computer screen we hold in our hands is a miracle. Maybe so. But motivation is lacking to open the smart phone screen, check the world news, the torture and mayhem going on elsewhere. Why do that? We have mess enough in our own backyard to clean up, and don’t seem to be doing much about it either.
Maybe I could offer comments about Disney, the happiest place on earth, the family-oriented mecca of all amusements, who have agonized over including an on-line gambling app. Maybe it was the $1.7 B ‘signing bonus’ that pollinated the company. Now, truly something for everyone.
Which is what apps are for, anyway. Something for everyone, for everything, a cornucopia of options, of choices and opinions, a veritable ‘god-in-our-palms,’ always open for business with instantaneous answers to every prayer and request. For money, of course. Why pray? Just Google Amazon. Prayers answered instantly, prime delivery to your door, tomorrow.
Then check emails, texts, football scores, weather, stocks, tides, podcasts, Sirius, photos and any other number of diversionary distractions waiting for my command. But why? It’s hard enough to find time to just sit in silence and let nature do the work. And it’s Sunday, a day of rest.
Ah, a day of rest. Some allege we’re finding too many of such days. Are there too many ‘days of rest’ or not enough? Like the last flowers of summer, who doesn’t feel the soothing slowdown of Fall, the last blooming of a year almost gone?
Before long the north winds will blow. The last flowers of summer will close up shop and drop petals for compost and seeds for another year. They instinctively know the way home. Nature always prepares itself for the future. Maybe then we’ll be left with only apps to spend our solitary moments on while waiting for the flowers to return.
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But maybe someone in their solitude will have an epiphany and design an app that will give directions to vagrant souls for The Way home. That would be a miracle indeed.
But by whatever means, enjoy the season.
Bud Hearn
October 30, 2023