Caught between two seasons

I do love the fall of the year almost more than the summer.  Not totally because the summer does rescue us from a long winter while the fall follows a warm season. The naming of the season "Autumn" gives the season a weighty, solemn feel. 

The word autumn comes from the ancient Etruscan root autu- and has within it connotations of the passing of the year.It was borrowed by the neighbouring Romans, and became the Latin word autumnus. After the Roman era the word continued to be used as the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalised to the original Latin. In the Medieval period there are rare examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but by the 16th century it was in common use.


         "A second spring when every leaf's a flower" (A Camus)



 We have 30 degree Celsius days like we did yesterday and 13 degree Celsius days like we are experiencing today. Our gardens and plants have that confused look about them. Should we stay or should we go?

Our summer plant hanging "in" over our autumn plant.

Our summer coleus trying to show our autumn plants that they aren't going to give up just yet!

The new "kids" in the neighbourhood prepared to take on the frosty nights.

Autumn plant trying to act all gorgeous and tough at the same time.

Another bloom giving the coleus a hard time.

The hydrangea turning to its harvest look while the grass continues to grow around it!!

In New Brunswick we are prepared to handle the fickleness of our weather whether we are biking in the heat or in the cold. We are like the summer plants trying to keep the sultry summer days alive for a bit longer.

The sun bringing the temperature up to 26 degrees C. Way overdressed for this hot day.

Bundled up for the cold the next day making sand angels.

The hail and high winds kept us wintry and confused in our shorts and down vests.

We put back on the clothes we took off yesterday.

 A perfect autumn sky with heavy surf and nowhere to get out of the wind. 

Autumn in its glory.

New Brunswick just finished its provincial election and the result turned out to be as ambiguous and fickle as the autumn weather. 

The political parties went straight ahead and tried what they have always done much as we did to get out to the dunes on this boardwalk against strong winds. We all made it by adapting to the wind and by helping each other. The politicians weren't so forward thinking.

Our autumn election was more like watching a ship getting too close to shore and not being able to stop it.  The polling machines caused problems and no party came out a clear winner. A lot of people decided not to vote this time. We have a split between north and south and city and rural. 

So just maybe serious, solemn, fickle, temperamental Autumn is a good time to hold an election.