September, the Month of Changes

                                                                                               

The last week or so has been "Mother Nature Strange" with a no-name earthquake and Irene. There is not much more to be said, but hopefully, if you have family and friends in those regions, they are safe and sound. Vermont is one heck of a beautiful state with some fantastic people and hopefully the recovery there this week will proceed smoothly.

Another major tropical storm is expected to reach hurricane levels in the next few days, Katria. It is unclear at the moment to know if it will pose a threat to the east coast.

Pictured above is a local dam, the Union City Dam. It holds back the French Creek watershed area and French Creek itself and slowly releases the water to help alleviate flooding further downstream. It is between 400 and 500 miles away from the heavy rains Irene brought.

When the Dam is at capacity, it forms a temporary lake almost six miles long. On Saturday, August 27, it was dry except for the creek. The northwestern Pennsylvania area was fortunate and was spared. But September is about more ritual changes; it won't be long and the leaves will put on a show and fall, sounds of chain saws and log splitters will be commonplace and forecasts will warn of killing hard frosts. And everyone knows what will happen next.

Unfortunately as September begins, thousands are still groping with recovery from Irene, and some Vermont and New York villages remain isolated, homes destroyed and bridges wiped out. There are some politicians who want to hold the storm recovery hostage to budget talks; I think that is flat out wrong and un-American, as well as, a non-Christian stance.

Perhaps, it is my idealistic pragmatism, but I think the emphasis should be on the American people and job creation, not political ideologies.

Jewelweed and the late Summer Early Fall Flower Show

Pictured above is a Jewelweed plant. The medicinal herb has been blooming now for the last several weeks; it grows on moist land. Locally, the plant, which can be five feet tall, blooms a brilliant orange color; although, in some other regions, the flowers are yellow.

It is sort of invasive and can spread rapidly. Jewelweed produces thousands of tiny seeds and it can be difficult to control, though it is easy to rip out of the ground.

However, the plant does attract hummingbirds and it is a favorite for the bumblebees. It is also a natural treatment, known by the Native Americans, as a natural remedy for poison ivy and insect bites. The stems contain a clear sappy substance when broken; it can then be applied to the skin to relieve any discomfort. From personal experience, with mosquito bites anyway, it is very effective.

September, a month of changes, is a great time of the year to enjoy what is happening in the fields and the woods. Many species of colorful, native flowers ( important to protect and keep) are now blooming besides the Jewelweed. And it won't be long before the stumpy mushrooms will appear.
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Garden Notes:

There were some failures this year because of the cool, wet spring and a hungry woodchuck (s). But the tomatoes and peppers are doing fantastic; no sign of any blight – yet. The sunflowers were amazing.

The wet spring wasn't good for the peas and the woodchuck (and other critters) got all the beans, lettuce and cauliflower, the squash and pumpkins (grrrrr).

This fall, I am going to re-work and improve my raised bed garden closer to the house. It is time to add more organic materials, overturn the ground, and maybe get a late cover crop planted. The garden closer to the house doesn't have as much wildlife, thanks to foot traffic and the the dog.

In a few short weeks, it will be time to get the garlic planted for next year.

It was a hectic summer and didn't have a lot of time this year. But it is a good idea to find the time and get the soil ready for the long winter in the next several months. The work now makes spring planting better.

Frontier at Three Rivers

Author Sam Hossler published another novel - fictional, yet historically accurate- titled “Frontier at Three Rivers”. Sam is a well known writer in much of western Pennsylvania and now lives in Florida. His books deal with the early pioneer days of settlement, the courage and tragedies faced by settlers and Native Americans. If your looking for some great reading, or getting an early start on Christmas shopping, click samhossler.com