“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last forever.”
—E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web
Jacki left the quote for me in a comment a couple of weeks ago. It’s been years since I read the book and I would never have remembered the line about crickets.
The bank that runs along behind our house is a haven for crickets. In late summer they start chirping in fall of the year all the live long day.
Doesn’t matter what time you go out the backdoor their chorus greets you.
Even if the sun is hot enough to make me sweat, if I hear the crickets I know I’m closer to fall of the year and cooler temperatures will surely be here soon.
Yesterday we had our first real fall day. The low was in the 50s and the high in the 70s. It was a lovely day and the crickets were certainly telling anyone who’d listen all about it.
Last night’s video: You’ve Bears Here? – From My Highest Hill 8.
Tipper
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I’ve been watching a chipmunk forage for breakfast and its winter provisions. It lives in an old fire pit containing wood left over from last winter. It zips in and out, but occasionally pauses in the sunlight to munch on something. Watching wild things at their work is a pleasant way to spend part of one’s fall morning, unless its a herd of deer in your garden or a bear rummaging for a snack on your back porch. I’m going to put out some raw peanuts for the chipmunk, or maybe I’ll start with Cheerios for the first course.
Somehow just this year I connected fall with crickets singing. Puzzled me because I thought I was more in tune with nature than that. Anyway, I like to hear them and see them, which I rarely do. I wonder if they have a temperature trigger” or might it be day length? Whichever, the natural series of how events follow some and coincide with or precede others is – to me – evidence of Intelligent Design. I think nearabout everybody in the South is ready for Fall. Doesn’t take many 100°+ days to get that way.
I can’t hear crickets singing since I live in a concrete jungle, and although I haven’t turned any heat on yet – due to my stubbornness in wanting to let go of summer – but I have had to dig out extra blankets at night and don’t have the fans running all day and night, and I am also enjoying seeing the colors of fall happening in the foliage around me, so I guess it is time to open the ‘door’ and welcome Fall.
Hi Tipper and Acorns. It is definitely Fall here. It was 45 this morning at 5am when I got up. Crickets have been hollering since August and the Squirrels gathered the Hazelnuts early. There were no Walnuts this year. I think that was caused by the neighbor spraying Paraquat on the 43 acres across the road. I know the blow-over killed my blueberries, raspberries, apples and tomatoes. All the fruit dropped. I feel sorry for the squirrels this winter. I may buy some in-shell walnuts to put out for them on cold days. They come to my porch begging when the walnut crop is small. I haven’t had my yard mowed for 3 months now. I guess that is how we will have to have it now. Pray for us that we don’t get snake bit. We go to bed at 6pm so we don’t mind the early twilight. What I don’t like is getting the garbage out in the morning in the dark. The bears don’t hibernate like they used to. They can’t find enough to eat before sleep time starts. They are active all winter. I keep everyone here, Papaw Tony and the good folks up Wilson Holler in my prayers.
Here in eastern NC we’ve had lows in the upper 50’s low 60’s and highs in the low to mid 70’s this week.
I’m loving it.
I’m loving this weather! 55 here this morning. Low 80s for the days forecast.
It’s 45 here in the mountains of WV this morning, with a high later of 65 and sunny. This is the weather we have had the last couple days. It’s perfect weather to work outside. Yesterday, hubby started staining our cabin. We haven’t did it for ten years and it was time. We built the scaffolds first. He has to use three high on each end of the house. We are doing the hardest ends first. Then I can help with the front and back. My help yesterday was reaching him rags and stain, and helping cover our chimney and windows with plastic…and praying. I am so afraid of heights, but hubby is not. We are definitely slower at it, but we also have more free time to get it finished. The dew is heavy on the grass and is dripping off the roof. Last evening, we watched five squirrels scuttering around gathering acorns and burying them…Fall is upon us!
I have not heard the crickets lately. It seemed just a couple of weeks ago they were sooo loud they were deciding whether they wanted to move in the house and take up residency.
I loved the book Charlotte’s Web. I think I still even have a coloring book my mom bought saved in a box somewhere of Charlotte‘s web that I used to Color. Wow! I haven’t thought about that book in a long time. I remember our teacher reading it to us English class. I forget what age bracket that book was for it was one of my favorite books that made a big impression on me. Very fond memories of happy childhood times. Thank you for mentioning that today. I don’t remember that statement in the book either I think I actually might read it again. It’s a wonderful thing to stay young at heart. Blessings to all of you! Esme
Current temperature in the State of NJ 57 degrees and it is raining. All day!! We needed the rain.
I love crickets calling, we have them out here everywhere and this time of the year they are calling 24/7. We’ve had fall weather this week along with cloudy days and some rain, which we’ve needed.
That seems to hold some truth to it because I’ve been hearing crickets around my place for the past two weeks. We had fall weather the past few days and it’s been great. I normally enjoy the summer weather, but not this year. It seemed to be extreme heat 24 hours a day this summer and the humidity from sun up to sun down made it feel even worse. I’m thankful for the relief of fall temperatures.
Getting to leave a window or 2 open at night is one of my favorite things about fall finally overtaking summer. The song of the crickets mingled with the umpteen varieties of frogs and toads down at the pond is truly music to my ears. Nothing better to fall asleep or wake up to♡ The golden stalks of corn surrounding my little piece of heaven are surely not going to last much longer. Most of the corn and even some beans, have already been harvested in the surrounding area. The Prairieland Steam Show, an annual event in our town for MANY years, is going on this weekend. I woke up feeling much better today, from the effects of the chemo this past Tuesday, so I might just spend a few hours taking in the sights and sampling the delicious food. My grandkids other grandma is highly involved with the organization that puts it on. She makes sure they have their bracelets and I gave them all a bit of $$ for food or whatever they wish to buy. Next weekend is The Spoon River Driver , in Fulton Co and my bestie and I are going to spend some time enjoying the scenic drive…and yes, more food lol There’s one stop along the river that always has the best apple, caramel and pecan bowls. A scrumptious taste of fall!! Have a good weekend ya’all!!
Fall is here where we live as well. The trees are starting to have greenish yellow leaves that precede their full color change and the mornings are cool and nice. We have been able to turn off our AC two nights in a row. It is nice to be able to hear the crickets now outside my window since the noise of the AC doesn’t drown out their song. We like E.B. White’s books. I like Charlotte’s Web as a child and my children really like The Trumpet and the Swan.
Happy Anniversary, Allie! I hope it is a beautiful day for your family!
We celebrated 12 years in March. 12 is a good year! ❤️
It was 50 outside at 6 am this morning. Last night we turned on the heat for the first time in several months. This house is well insulated so you rarely hear anything, not even crickets. The thing I don’t like about summer ending is the darkness that starts to appear in August. It was so dark when I got up a little after 6 and appears earlier every evening. Today is going to be near 80′ about like yesterday.
I may be stepping on some toes but we have schoolchildren in my neighborhood already getting on the bus in the dark, staying on DST will only make it worse. For the ones that claim one hour makes such a big difference with their internal clock, I would suggest working rotating/swing shifts like I did for over 20 years. Seven straight days on a 8 hour shift, 48 HOURS not 2 days off, start another 7 day shift that would start 8 hours later than one you just finished. Once a month I would get one weekend off , I would get off at 7:30 on Thursday morning and would be off until starting back over on the first shift on Tuesday morning at 7:30 am. This weekend would be after working 21 days with only 96 hours off during that time. Your internal clock stayed messed up. Now after being retired one hour either way does not matter. I think I do like having a little more daylight time in the afternoon but I am use to getting up in the dark.
Tricia, in no way, shape or form was my comment about changing the clocks meant for you. I enjoy your comments and some of them makes me feel like we have some things in common. When thinking about liking daylight earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon, I have decided it just depends on how I feel when I wake up in the morning. Some days it feels so good to lay here in the darkness, I wish it would stay dark all day!
Good morning! We have had overnight temps in the mid 40s and Thursday’s high was right around 60. Today I hope to finish processing the last of the tomatoes and cut the vines off. Hope everyone enjoys a beautiful day!
I don’t see as many crickets around here as I use to, maybe because of the hot, dry summer weather we have had during the last several years. Back in my younger better years I would catch crickets and grasshoppers and use them for fish bait. The last two days have been “fall days” around here with more to come. The highest temperatures I see in the extended forecast is the lower 80’s. After all of the summer days of near 100 degree days and high humidity, I am loving it. I am feeling better, but not completely well, I cut some of my couple of acres of grass yesterday and noticed the sign of fall I look for- the change in the crab grass and it seeding out. Too much of it to worry about. I can ride a mower even though it makes me hurt, but can no longer push a mower or use a weed eater.