Letter: Cherish these last late summer outdoors moments

Posted 9/23/17

To the editor:

Are your hummingbird feeders still up? Hurray for you and I am sure you know to keep them there until October 15. You might even be rewarded with a rufous! They seem to travel late …

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Letter: Cherish these last late summer outdoors moments

Posted

To the editor:

Are your hummingbird feeders still up? Hurray for you and I am sure you know to keep them there until October 15. You might even be rewarded with a rufous! They seem to travel late in the season.

My local catbird left several weeks ago. It/they stalked me while I was walking by the wooded area at the end of the Back 40. I miss its shadowy gray ghost, but a traveler stopped by the bird bath this morning and I guess if I sat here all day I’d see others.

About ten years ago I noticed a small patch of what I thought were wild sunflowers. They have spread in the most amazing way and now entirely circle the back of the house lawn. Five, six and seven feet tall they have been an amazing sight as the stems are thin and wiry and move in the slightest breeze. Most of them have lost their petals and goldfinches are bending the stalks as they attack the seed heads. A friend asked what they were and I finally got around to looking them up in Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. In the process, I had to learn the meaning of the word bract and now I know they are Jerusalem Artichokes, members of the Helianthus or sunflower family.

Oddly enough they never crossed the wall into the Back 40 which is itself stunning with three different varieties of goldenrod. I thought I might be mistaken but Mr. Newcomb lists 29 varieties! One of mine is sweet scented – and no, they do not cause allergies, it is the ragweed that blooms at the same time.

Encircled and protected by my house and deck from the northwest winter winds is a seven brothers small tree aka Heptacodium. Right now it is in full flower with tiny bunches of white flowers (seven in a bunch – got it?). So beloved by bees is it that all you hear is a constant hum. The petals fall to the deck and get tangled in the long black curls of my little hunter’s ears.

This will be the last week of summer. The Equinox is a bit late this year, not till the 22nd. Enjoy – cherish.

Sidney Tynan

Little Compton

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