Indian Summer

Indian Summer -- just the name itself sounds wonderful.

Like almost every den in America in the 1970's, our bookcase had a shelf filled with a set of the World Book Encyclopedia. From all those tomes I remember one article in particular, about Indian Summer.

"A short period of especially fair weather and mild days. It comes in late October or early November when the leaves are turning color and falling from the trees. Indian Summer has no definite dates to begin or end. It is not a separate season, but a part of autumn.

The mild pleasant weather of Indian Summer follows the autumn's first period of cold, wintry days. The days become noticeably warmer, but the nights remain chilly. Throughout Indian Summer, the sun shines dimly and softly. The sky turns a rich blue and always appears gentle and hazy near the horizon. The air remains smoky and still, with almost no wind. An Indian Summer moon often has a yellow or orange hue. Indian Summer lasts from a week to ten days, and sometimes for two weeks. Then winter begins."

The article also included a cartoon by John McCutcheon first published in the Chicago Tribune in 1907

in which an old man conjures a scene of Indian spirits dancing around ceremonial fires and the corn shocks are transformed into teepees.

I always found the article to be wonderfully evocative of the magic of Indian Summer.

Indian Summer is a part of autumn, yet different. Lucky for us in central North Carolina this fall has mostly been one long Indian Summer. Mild golden weather, gentle sunlight filtering through colorful trees, silence broken only by leaves fluttering to the earth. The beautiful days make me wish that time could freeze or that Indian Summer could last until spring.

Aromatic Aster in the warm light of the rising sun

In the cooler light of mid morning

Chrysanthemum 'Venus'

Sassafras

Swamp Sunflower

Red Maples, which will later show more vivid colors of gold, orange and red.

Clotilde Soupert

Felicia

American Beautyberry

Willowleaf Aster 'Miss Bessie'

Join Katerina at roses and stuff for more Blooming Fridays.