“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly {this} year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple.”
~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows
Have you gotten to enjoy the beautiful beginnings of Autumn yet? This summer, I had vowed to get outside more. When the middle of summer came and went and I had barely clocked any outdoor hours (excluding time in the garden), I knew I had to re-group.
My trick to establishing a daily routine: determine what’s important, schedule it, and arrange everything else around it. So, I started walking for 30 minutes every morning, rain or shine, work or not. And it feels so good to get re-acquainted with the early changes of Fall! This walk has now become one of my daily non-negotiables (you can read more about what a non-negotiable is here).
One morning as I was walking, the sun was shining beautifully through the black walnut trees that live here, and its rays rested on a pretty patch of green. Little orange blossoms within caught my eye and beckoned me. I was not yet acquainted with this plant, with its dew-covered leaves and orange flowers, tiny, speckled, and pitcher-like. Yet I somehow knew what it must be: Jewelweed, a plant that my teacher and co-students have recently bought to my attention. Jewelweed can grow near poison ivy, and is used to prevent it (and treat it to some extent), along with other skin conditions.
Later when I revisited the patch, right on the precipice of a parking lot, I realized that it extends back into a little open meadow, accompanied by Goldenrod. Since I made this lovely little discovery, I make a point to stop by and say ‘hello’ during each walk.
Plant are our neighbors, and I’m excited that I’m getting to know my neighbors more and more intimately. How well do you know yours? Let me know in the comments!
To Life & Longevity,
Lynn Roberts