Today was such a gorgeous fall day--sunny and crisp, with the leaves finally starting to change color here in Piedmont North Carolina. So it is time for me to review the exact chemistry behind the transformation of our local trees. I know the general principle, but I always forget what the exact chemical processes are that produce the specific colors.
But I stumbled upon this explanation from USA Today that I thought was really good. It has a nice interactive graphic that shows the true colors in leaves being hidden by the chlorophyll during the summer, but eventually being revealed in the fall. They also have a part where you can see which types of leaves turn which colors. Meanwhile, the article reviews the chemical processes that produce yellow versus red leaves. Just what I was looking for!
You can check out the article here.
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
The Boys of Summer Are Gone
This week, we've done a lot of swimming. The school children have gone to back to school, and so the pools are empty and beckoning, since the weather is still sultry and summery. We wanted to take advantage of them while we could, since many will close after this Labor Day weekend.
I've also started getting emails again from all the places that have been full with summer camps and summer programs--museums, community centers, art centers, gyms, etc.--but who are now switching their programming to bring in homeschoolers for all those hours when other children are in school and so their facilities are underutilized. Homeschoolers tend not to pay top dollar for programs, since many are on tight budgets with only one spouse working, so we are not their target audience during the lucrative summer months when working parents are looking for programs during their children's summer vacations. But when that dries up, we are the best game in town, and so these institutions start courting us once more.
This has also been a summer of transition--friends moving on as their children get older, family members passing on when their time on this planet is done. All of this is in the nature of things, but it doesn't make it easy to go through. And so, all in all, I'm looking forward to getting into the swing of things for fall, which has its own rules, momentum, and need to look forward rather than behind.
One of my absolute favorite songwriters is Don Henley of The Eagles. I just think so many of his songs are just beautiful and brilliant, and sum up my feelings during certain times of my life better than I could even imagine. So it just seems perfect that the song that best encapsulates my feelings on this Labor Day weekend of 2011 is his 1984 hit, "The Boys of Summer." Some say it is a song about the lost promise of the 1960's. Some say it is about the break up of the Eagles. Some say it about regrets of lost relationships. And some say it is just about aging in general. But whichever interpretation you like, most agree that it is about moving on.
In many ways, we've had a great summer, and it is hard to let go of those good times. In other ways, I'm ready to get re-energized and launch ourselves into our school time routine. Either way, it's time to say goodbye to the boys--and the girls--of summer.
IF, by some chance, you are not familiar with this classic piece, you can see the original music video here:
I've also started getting emails again from all the places that have been full with summer camps and summer programs--museums, community centers, art centers, gyms, etc.--but who are now switching their programming to bring in homeschoolers for all those hours when other children are in school and so their facilities are underutilized. Homeschoolers tend not to pay top dollar for programs, since many are on tight budgets with only one spouse working, so we are not their target audience during the lucrative summer months when working parents are looking for programs during their children's summer vacations. But when that dries up, we are the best game in town, and so these institutions start courting us once more.
This has also been a summer of transition--friends moving on as their children get older, family members passing on when their time on this planet is done. All of this is in the nature of things, but it doesn't make it easy to go through. And so, all in all, I'm looking forward to getting into the swing of things for fall, which has its own rules, momentum, and need to look forward rather than behind.
One of my absolute favorite songwriters is Don Henley of The Eagles. I just think so many of his songs are just beautiful and brilliant, and sum up my feelings during certain times of my life better than I could even imagine. So it just seems perfect that the song that best encapsulates my feelings on this Labor Day weekend of 2011 is his 1984 hit, "The Boys of Summer." Some say it is a song about the lost promise of the 1960's. Some say it is about the break up of the Eagles. Some say it about regrets of lost relationships. And some say it is just about aging in general. But whichever interpretation you like, most agree that it is about moving on.
In many ways, we've had a great summer, and it is hard to let go of those good times. In other ways, I'm ready to get re-energized and launch ourselves into our school time routine. Either way, it's time to say goodbye to the boys--and the girls--of summer.
IF, by some chance, you are not familiar with this classic piece, you can see the original music video here:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)