Reading · Daily Dose of Nature

Nature photo of the day: the very dry “green” roof of our compost toilet.

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i remember the summers of old
from my own memories, and from stories told
by generations that came before me
their reminiscences wave in an unending sea
of time, petering slowly from memory
bright yellow, golden sun, caressing my face
a turquoise sky, occasionally dotted by fluffy clouds
or menacing, much welcome black storms
vibrant white stars, a pale, wise moon
looking down on the verdant earth
oh, where have the colors of long ago gone
fading out a little more each year
a boho color palette left in their place
brown is beautiful, but not in summer,
when it imbues nature's space
- Csermely

This poem is a bit more abstract than usual, and you may be wondering what it’s even about. Well, in one word, it’s about the brownness of this summer. Don’t get me wrong - I truly adore brown, especially in autumn and winter, when the color helps me ground each time I see it. But in summer, it’s a less welcome sight…

Leaves turning brown a month and a half early on our cherry tree.

With the Danube in Hungary at a record low, and no rain in sight here in Romania any time soon, we can safely say that it’s been an exceptionally dry summer.

Combined with intense heat, our garden is less than perfect this year, but we have been forced to accept it, & realize that it is not our fault. Do you have drought where you live this summer? And if yes, what toll has it taken on nature around you?

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In some cases, it takes a keen eye to notice the unnatural brownness of this summer, yet in other places, it’s very obvious. Like in our garden, part of which we will soon scythe down, simply because it is not worth watering this year…

Pokey grass around the garden, a withering pumpkin leaf, and rattly radish pods.

Our zucchinis, for example, where perfectly fine the other day, growing happily. But yesterday we noticed that they got severely burned by the sun, so we quickly harvested them & will make pickles out of them today or tomorrow. Something we’ll be able to trade with in a few month’s time…

When my Mom took a walk down to the creek this morning, she noticed that a dry & sizeable alder tree had fallen over in the night, right into the dry-ish creek bed. It has to be taken out before it rains, so it’s one more chore to add to our to-do list today. Who ever said that Sunday’s were for relaxing?

I know, there have always been dry summers. However, I’d like to ask you to take a little stroll down memory lane, & ask yourself: were summers this hot and dry when you were a child? When you have your answer, attempt to draw a scene from your childhood in nature. Were the hues around you verdant, bright blue, and gold? Or were they brown, like now?

First cut and second cut. The second haystack was made only a few days ago, and is already very crinkly to the touch!

Because we haven’t had rain for so long (for at least a few weeks), the grass is quite stubbly underfoot, often urging us to wear sandals or shoes outdoors. Despite the prickly ground, we make sure to connect with the Earth in different ways; for example, by finding sit spots in nature, which have become something I look forward to sharing with you each month.

Especially in the heat, we are reminded of how dependant we are on water. A human can’t survive more than 3 days without water, & that tells us everything we need to know about its importance for us - and for nature.

There is so little water in our creek right now, that it is merely trickling over the rocks… One of the lowest water levels we’ve ever seen. It’s hard to imagine that only 20 years ago, big fish jumped around in this very creek.

Unfortunately, we have a water shortage in the village right now, largely because of the many tourists in the village at the end of summer, and the pensions in the next village over, which are purloining our water (straight from the source!) for their pools, laundry and guest showers… There’s quite a water black market going on, and there aren’t even any data centers here (yet.)

Some of the villagers haven’t had any water at all for weeks, which is a big problem, as they have animals to feed and give water to, not to mention their gardens. Our water, on the other hand, is fabulous, & totally potable.

Irony aside, this is from our water source this morning. {It doesn’t always look this bad, it depends on the day, and how many people are opening the tap at the same time, every bucket we fill is different. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. We fill a lot of containers when the water is clear & boil it to make sure it is safe to drink.}

It’s often full of dead and living crayfish, and sometimes it smells like a pond! We use this brown water (for lack of other options) for laundry & rinsing dishes, especially when there is nothing left in the creek. Homestead life isn’t always easy - especially in summer. Don’t let any Instagram “homesteader” tell you otherwise.

But, I’m not trying to complain. I simply wished to share our brown summer with you, for I find it almost humorous how each summer can be so vastly different weatherwise. It reminds me to be grateful for the rain when it comes - but let’s hope it won’t rain TOO hard!

What colors have you noticed taking center stage where you live this summer? And how do they make you feel?

I’d also like to use this opportunity to remind you to slow down, no matter the weather. Enjoy the heat, as much as you can, & notice the nature around you: how does the Earth react to the sunshine, and the rain, respectively? How does your mood change depending on the weather?

When summer is drowning in brown...

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