Happy September! Last Days of Lavender Gardens and Hot Air Balloons, Judging Poetry Contests, and Preparing for Fall

Happy September! Last Days of Lavender Gardens and Hot Air Balloons

This week was more gentle than the last few, despite some smoke and haze in the air keeping me from getting out as much as I wanted to. We visited McMurtrey Farm flower field just as a hot air balloon took off from just across the river (shot at left) among the sunflowers, and the next day we went to say our goodbyes to the local Lavender Farm (until September 20th, when it reopens as a local Pumpkin Farm!) We took home dahlias and daisies and sunflowers, enough for two bouquets and one for our neighbor. In boring homeowner news, we had our asphalt driveway repaved, which was too expensive, but I guess our HOA requires it now? I am reminded that homeownership is full of unexpected costs. But it is beautiful here. The hummingbirds are busy in the garden, as are the wasps, and baby chickadees, flickers, and Stellar’s jays. Below are some pictures from McMurtrey, which also becomes a pumpkin patch soon (and then a Christmas tree farm!)

And from the last day at JB Family Growers Lavender Farm:

Preparing for Fall, and Judging Poetry Contests

Although it’s still warm (with wildfire smoke), fall is approaching, and I’m already ready for dishes featuring delicata squash and our late-harvest corn. Getting the house ready for more visitors, I’m also trying to make space for my books (which my unread stack is now big enough for its own Ikea bookshelf) and changing up decor. My latest stack of books includes collections of ghost stories from other cultures, which should be fun. Our winery book club is reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier for September, a book referenced by so many of our recent club picks, it’s amazing. Were we all super spellbound by that book as teens, and now it’s creeping into our selections?

I’m also judging yet another poetry contest, this time for the SFPA. I judge contests once or twice a year, and I always wonder if people are sending their best work. I don’t send to many individual poetry contests, but I’ll tell you this—you probably have more of a shot than you think. You never know what an individual judge will like. And don’t take not winning personally. Who knows what any judge will like or dislike?

I’m also getting ready to get into poetry submission mode, as I haven’t been sending out poems much in the last few months. Too busy? Too discouraged? Feeling like poetry is maybe a waste of my time after twenty years and feeling like maybe I should switch genres? Maybe a little of each. September is a month of renewal, after all, with its shades of new pencils and new sweaters and of course, more new books. Housecleaning, closet cleanouts, and yes, taking stock of our writing and deciding where to spend our time and energy, with bouquets of dahlias and sunflowers around the house and pumpkin apple muffins in the kitchen.