August 12- Hot Summer Days

August has started, the last bit of summer, the ‘Sunday afternoon’ of the season. This year all of the months seem more like Monday’s that won’t quit, repeating some kind of bad news day, after day after day.  A Sunday afternoon would be welcome at this point, a break from the grind of daily routines.

Meanwhile, summer continues with hot days, the trees full of leaves that rustle in the wind, fields full of crops growing for harvest and other parts of nature continuing even while humans are acting in uncertainty and chaos. The Earth still revolves around the sun while the moon and stars continue in their dance while meteoroids give a light show during the month. All events that occurred long before we were born and will likely continue long after we are gone.

I found myself sitting outside, in the heat of the day on a shady porch, noticing reminders of how much stays the same in spite of historic events occurring all around us. I could hear the sound of the wind blowing through our pine tree, birds chirping and a hawk screeching as it lazily circled on the thermals. The ground squirrels popped out of their holes and kept an eye on me while a hummingbird zoomed around, acting as guardian for its territory.

I enjoyed taking a bit of time to enjoy a feeling of Sunday, a day of rest, sitting outside , watching the birds glided through the sky and while the rabbits and squirrels wandered about, eating to grow fat for fall and winter which will all too soon arrive. A nice break from pandemic days and a feeling that things will eventually get better, somehow, someway and in a not too distant future.

Pictures by J.T. Harpster, prints of pictures can be purchased at