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| Balloon man at the Farmers' Market |
The Celts called it Lughnasad after the God Lugh. It is the wake of Lugh, the Sun-King, whose light begins to dwindle after the summer solstice. The Saxon holiday of Lammas celebrates the harvesting of the grain. The first sheaf of wheat is ceremonially reaped, threshed, milled and baked into a loaf.I snagged that information from this website, which is filled with interesting tidbits about the holiday. This morning I got up and headed out to join the Fairhaven walkers, my usual Saturday morning routine, and we sat around afterwards, drinking iced coffee and looking at the pictures of Terry and me on our skydive, while the ladies chimed in about whether they ever would or wouldn't do the same thing. Terry said she's glad she did it but wouldn't do it again. The freefall was just too overwhelming. It's funny, that was the part I couldn't wait to experience again, but that said, I was always a skydiver. There was just a time when I hadn't made a jump yet. (smile)
Then I went to the Farmers' Market to see all the people out enjoying the sunshine. I didn't really have anything to buy, but I wasn't quite ready to come inside. It is 3:00pm and 79 outside, heading for 82, according to the weather gods. When there's no breeze, that's a tad on the warm side for me. At least I wasn't climbing any mountains today, and going into air-conditioned stores kept me comfortable.
I've got to water the garden really well this evening, since I just sprinkled it this morning and everything is parched and needing some attention. My second batch of lettuce is doing great, and my beets are happily coming into existence. This is the second planting of them, too. The month of August should be the last of the intense heat around here, so I'm actually looking forward to September. I wonder why August is the hottest month, when the days are longer in July? I'll look it up online, but not right now. I've got a good book to bury myself in.
Which reminds me: I finished The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics. It's a historical story about the University of Washington rowing team that made it to the Olympics in Nazi Germany, winning against all odds. I simply couldn't put the book down once I got halfway through it. Daniel Brown, the author, is a really great writer. I'll happily read anything he writes. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
That's it for now, from my little corner of the universe during Lammas. Hope you're doing well and enjoying yourself, too!
:-)
Happy Lammas - and gardening, walking, sky-diving, LIVING to you.
ReplyDeletewhew! just not having a great time with blogger today - running slow to load and pull up comment boxes...
ReplyDeleteanyway, was not familiar with that festival. a mid-point of seasons.
hey i need to get some of that bread to celebrate....smiles....after a week of colder weather it turned scorching hot here...and now the thunderstorms....
ReplyDeleteNot so sure I want to celebrate summer's mid-point. I am a three season person - not a fan of the cold. But Happy Lammas anyway!
ReplyDeleteAll kinds of interesting tid bits can be found if we look back in our history. I think there wee much more meaningful celebrations as this one to celebrate the onset of harvest.
ReplyDeleteI had completely forgotten Lammas entirely (again) until you reminded me. (Lammas, of course, not being the time you herd Llamas.) Somewhere in my old Celtic roots there is something. I'm not sure what.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing you adventure.
Blessings and Bear hus!
These long summer days are the best! We get to store up the sun for the fall and winter.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you say about the heat. And anywhere in the 80s IS hot for the Northwest, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteYou say: "I wonder why August is the hottest month, when the days are longer in July? I'll look it up online, but not right now." It reminds me of Scarlet O'Hara...'afterall, towmorrow's another day'. ;-)
I think there should be festivals all summer long....just in celebration of summer - its so short here that fall is almost upon us just as summer is getting into swing, so we should celebrate more. Happy Lammas to you - looks like buncha fun, eh.
ReplyDeleteNo sign of autumn here in Hawaii. Still hot and humid -- typical a/c weather indoors. What would we do without air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteSince I love summer, and my birthday is August 2, Lammas Day is perfect for ME! Thanks for sharing that info. We were away in San Francisco for the scorcher of 109 here, but back for 107 degrees yesterday. It is overcast and only supposed to hit 100 today. Aren't we fortunate!
ReplyDeleteLove the balloon man!! You can see the kids are drawn to him.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a scattering of summer weather in the spring and fall weather in the summer. Too much rain--flooding. Makes me wonder what the rest of the year will be like. But I, like you, am waiting for the cooler temps to return. ;)
I totally agree with you on Daniel Brown. Is the story really true? Sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that it's only half way to the official end of summer. It has been too warm for me in the afternoons too, but I love summer and I never want it to end. It comes from all those years of being a student and then an educator. Summer always meant freedom to me.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a nice well balanced, entertaining day.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your heat though we call 80s cool. We have had the coolest July since 1906. All in what you are use to I guess. Loving this summer.
Interesting ... I do like the heat of summer (not that we've had much here in the NE this year); but I also like the harvest when you get the wonderful corn and those tasty tomatoes and all the other stuff. So ... I'll take Lammas!
ReplyDeleteHappy Lammas!
ReplyDeleteI am more than happy to hear this is the midpoint and fall is around the corner. We have had temps near or over 100 for a couple of weeks now. Last week we hit 105.
I just had to compost some beets that I failed to use before they went soft. So shameful! I vow to not let that happen to the beans I bought yesterday. The farmer's market was so abundant and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Lammas Is a turning point for me because I love all things Autumn. There are three harvest celebrations attributed to our pagan roots, which just goes to prove how important the harvest was to us in times gone by (and now too of course). Larry is a summer person and I have noticed that since the solstice he has become unsettled (the Sun King's strength is waning). For me I like it when the winds begin to blow.
ReplyDeleteDear DJan, I'm on the library reserve for the book. #34 and they have 6 books so I'll get to read it soon. Thanks for the rave review.
ReplyDeleteAugust is hottest here, too, and also Minnesota. When you find out why I'd sure like to know.
A friend gave me five large beets right out of the ground. I boiled them in vinegared water and the skins easily peeled off and oh, they are so delicious cut into chunks and microwaved with butter, salt, and pepper. Yum! Yum! Peace.
Cooler than normal here...but now we need rain. The grass is going dormant. Thanks for the mention of Lammas...I thought it was an animal:)
ReplyDeleteThat an new celebration for me. I'm a big fan of reading novels about the Saxons in yea olde England...:) Me thinks my son in Phoenix would thing your 82 degrees a mite chilly....:)
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