Today is cool with intermittent puffy fair-weather clouds and a light northerly breeze. The ragweed by our deck is probably six feet tall yet is dwarfed by the Pokeberry which is well over eight foot in height. The Poke weed’s berries are ripening a deep purple; they ripen from the top down and as they do the plant’s stalks develop purple highlights. Both ragweed and poke are excellent sources of nutrients for wildlife, but not for us humans.

Yesterday our daughter-in-law saw osprey on the harbour nest. We had seen them fishing in the harbour and flying for a few days before that. Later, we walked the boardwalk through a marsh a couple of towns away and there were a few osprey circling, fishing, and calling amongst themselves. Today both the sky over our harbour, and the harbour nest, were empty so the last of our local osprey may have departed on the north breezes that followed Friday night’s much needed storms. We still need rain but the storms certainly brough welcomed aid.

At the beach, the goslings are almost full grown and the family appears more at ease passing through the throngs of last warm day beachgoers. They even forage for scraps among the picnic tables and invite handouts from human passers by. Many geese overwinter here so there is less pressure to mature rapidly and migrate.

The squirrels have spent the past couple of days destroying the sunflowers in the garden. Before Jennie cleaned up the mess yesterday the remnants lay all over the gardens, threatening to crush other plants. Now many of the stalks and heads are ripening in the compost pile where the birds and animal will continue to feed on them.

We were all up and out early this morning. The “kids” are off to Boston to do apartment and work tasks so we drove over to the next village for donuts and discovered our favourite orchard was finally open; we are now very well stocked for fruit, fresh from the tree!

A couple of days ago we all went to our favourite coffee shop for brew and a light breakfast. Walking over, our daughter-in-law and I had a serious conversation about studio practice. She had lots of questions about my process and routines. I perceive her as much more focused on, and committed to, her studio process, so was surprised to hear that she also struggles with structure. We agreed that we both prefer open ended, organic projects in which the media and spontaneous ideas have a strong voice, rather than work that is preconceived. We also agreed that improvisational work is unpredictable and wild, participating actively in the process that is Nature.

When we got home, Nori was waiting for her mid-morning snack, after which she retired to the screen porch and napped until dinner. There was a prefrontal zephyr that stirred the leaves and just enough humidity to create a sense of safety and comfort.

We stand on the doorstep of September and, like all of nature, our family is in transition. One of the twins and his wife are in the process of moving back to the east coast for work and we are excited they will be relatively nearby. The other twin and his partner are back from summer gigs, and we all managed to get together for dinner a couple of nights ago. Jennie has begun the year’s teaching in her graduate program. Fall is definitely here.

We heard this week from my daughter that our grandson played in his very first high school football game. He’s a running back and scored a touchdown! His older brother completed National Guard training and is heading into his senior year of high school. Their younger brother has taken up cello which is hands down my favourite instrument. Our Vermont granddaughter, who, with Jennie, had a grand summer adventure to Andalusia, just began her second year of high school.

I’ve been reading Margret Renkle’s Late Migrations at the suggestion of underswansea. The book is a collection of brief pieces originally published in the New York Times, writing that embeds the author’s life firmly in the rhythms of the natural word. The work is contemporary and embraces the suffering and joy of our shared moment; it is fine writing. Reading her thoughts, I am reminded yet again of how crucial family, friends, community, and creativity are in dangerous, uncertain times.