A cross-post of sorts,  a guest post by me from my garden blog, I’ve just stolen this piece in its entirety and placed it here. Today is that sort of day. Cheers!

Seattle has experienced an unprecedented 80+ days with only .07 inches of rain. We’ve had some cloudy days, marine-layer mornings, but no measurable rainfall. After a cold June, August through a few days ago has been summer and late summer at its finest. While I look forward to cleaner air, a green lawn, and water next summer, I feel a mild urgency tinged with melancholy as rain is once again in Walter’s forecast.

These few days before the heavens open again for who knows how long, have me clearing beds for winter cover crops and garlic planting; preparing fall planted lettuces to be covered for winter; collecting seed pods to store then plant come spring; enjoying the last bits of texture and color.

cilantro seed aka coriander

next season’s freebie lettuces

blushing blueberry

The earth here is dry. Not thinking about socks, not worrying about boots or umbrellas, it transitions so easily from weather to weather. I do look forward to no longer being held hostage to the garden hose. I look forward to our dinners in front of the fireplace. I look forward to giving turn to the blog posts queuing up in my memory. After working amazingly hard for the past 6 months, I’m glad the soil gets to rest, reacquainting itself with the minerals and microbes it loves so much. I can’t help but feel a sadness though, the feeling one has when bidding farewell to a very good friend.