Late Summer Sunflowers

Sunflowers of late September. (Photos by Jaz Primo, Sept. 2014)

Fall is my favorite time of year. While enjoying the cool early-autumn breeze during one of my recent neighborhood aerobic walks, I welcomed the long-overdue cooler temperatures and overcast skies. Then I caught sight of some sunflowers in the waning stages of bloom and it generated a momentary wave of nostalgia. While I’m no fan of my state’s oppressive summer heat and humidity, I appreciate the beauty found in those vibrant sunflowers. They reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic and mesmerizing sunflower paintings.

 My reflections were accompanied by the realization that with autumn’s arrival, everything was preparing to go dormant in anticipation of the winter. Though, at least in my portion of the country, winter is more than what the majority of the nation calls autumn. Honestly, this is a state of hard weather that matches the hard character of many of its residents; hard and unrelenting. But, I digress. Nevertheless, I considered the passage of time and how, like the sunflowers, our lives are marked by the increasingly swiftly-passing seasons. Then it reminded me how quickly time passes and how we should savor beautiful moments when they occur. As such, I savored the view of the sunflowers as I reveled in the early days of fall.

Sunflowers of late summer. (Photo by Jaz Primo, Sept. 2014)

And now for a quick update on how my new kitty, Tabby, is doing. My little furry tyke is taking nicely to her new home, complete with toys, multiple carpeted places to perch, and no less than two healthy dry kitten foods. She also made her first visit to one of the best cat specialty veterinarians in the central part of our state. Dr. Edwards and her kind staff were immediately smitten with Tabby, who seemed to appreciate the attention. Oh, and as with all kittens, Tabby has a curiosity streak a mile long. As you can see from the photo below, she has a strong affiliation toward recycling. In fact, she inspects the basket’s contents herself to ensure that it’s appropriate for recycling. But then, that’s kittens for you.

Tabby in the recycling basket. (Photo by Jaz Primo, Sept. 2014)

Enjoy autumn, and take a moment to gaze at the waning summer flowers.