Friday, September 30, 2011

Goodbye September, Farewell USA

The goldenrod is yellow ...
September
by  
Helen Hunt Jackson

The goldenrod is yellow;
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
Are curling in the sun;
In dusky pods the milkweed
Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest
In every meadow-nook;
And asters by the brookside
Make asters in the brook.

From dewy lanes at morning
The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
And autumn's best of cheer.

I am writing this at a US airport on the last day of September. I am bound for England, and when I arrive it will be October. September in Pennsylvania was WET. It rained every day, often accompanied by severe thunder and lightening. My garden suffered as vegetables and flowers drowned in the unprecedented downpours. September in my garden, however, was true to Helen Hunt Jackson's poem in some ways, as follows:

The corn is turning brown ...
 

The walnut trees with fruit are bending down.
Bumper crop of large walnuts this year.
The milkweed its hidden silk has spun.
The 'grasses' flaunt their harvest.

The grapes' sweet odors rise.
My garden is all flutter
with butterflies.
The plane is boarding now ...
Pam x

~~ I love reading your comments. I hope you leave one so I’ll know you visited!
I look forward to visiting your blog in return.

22 comments:

  1. A very creative post, I love how you paired the photos with poem. I hope you have a fabulous, and dry, trip Pam!

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  2. Pamela, I hope you have a very fun, safe, relaxing trip! (You are coming back, right?) Love the poem and the fitting pictures to go along with the words. Lovely!

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  3. It has been rainy here as well....Enjoy your trip!

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  4. September has been so very wet here as well. Have a marvelous visit in the land of your childhood. Maybe you'll bring some drier weather back with you?

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  5. Hope you have a lovely trip - we are putting on a little heat wave in your honour! Let me know if you need anything in London! Di

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  6. What a beautiful posting Pam. Have a wonderful trip and take lots of pictures for us here in the states. LOL!

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  7. Blotanical says it's your birthday. (You never know with Blotanical...) And if so I think you are celebrating right well with this trip! Seems a lovely time to travel too. I am looking forward to your English photographs and adventures. I raise my coffee cup to you Pam, happy journey and-- happy birthday!

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  8. Beautiful photos Pam. You have to look at the good going on........even though you weather was so crazy in September.

    Have a wonderful trip! It would be great if you would post some photos.

    Diane

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  9. What a lovely poem, Pam...and your photos are terrific too! I hope you have a fabulous visit in England! Happy Fall to you and yours...!

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  10. Pam have a safe and wonderful trip. Love the post.

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  11. What a lovely poem, and your photos go with it perfectly. Have a lovely time here in England, hope the weather wasn't too hot for you over the weekend.

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  12. I too loved the pairing of the poem and photos. Did it really rain EVERY day in September? It certainly feels that way! (No wait, here in Wayne County, Friday the 30th was, amazingly, dry all day! So far it has indeed rained every day in October, but the weather people keep promising a six to seven day spell of sunny dry weather, starting Wednesday!)
    Hope you are having a wonderful trip and seeing lots of beautiful English flowers!

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  13. How wonderful to be able to go back to England for a visit. I hope you have a wonderful time. And that it's sunny for you there every day.

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  14. Pam what a lovely post...have a wonderful, warm , dry trip...what a pinch me trip for an English gardener....

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  15. Pam, I love your tribute to the end of summer. Last night I looked up the official weather stats for our (yours and mine) area. 30" of rain in August and September, which is just 11" short of our average annual rainfall of 41". Y-T-D 52" and the all time record for the year is 56". It rained again last night!!! Carolyn

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  16. Lovely post, Pam. Surely a favorite of mine... the poem and your images. Have a wonderful trip.

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  17. What a lovely poem Pam. I hope you're enjoying your trip.

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  18. You sure did have some horrible weather, never would have thought the hurricane would affect you in the mountains.
    Hope your enjoying home in England.

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  19. Great poem! Yes, asters are everywhere! Have a GREAT trip. Your newest follower, Laura

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  20. Beautiful poem and photos. I hope you enjoy your trip to the UK.

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  21. September is such a perfect, golden month! But October adds fall colors, so it's a good one too.

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