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In Circle of the Seasons Edwin Way Teale called it the Fifth Season and the English often refer to it as “Old Wives Summer,”
* Thoreau wrote, “May my life be not destitute of its Indian Summer.” I write of that period of sunny days, golden haze, warm temperatures, and little wind: summer’s last stand before the rigors of winter. In . Northern Virginia it occurs in late October, or most often, November, after the first hard, and what my mother used to call “...a killing frost.” She looked forward to the first cold spell because, she said, “...it kills all the germs.” *' As of this writing, in early . November, Indian Summer remains - to be anticipated. Now we’re experiencing reliable October weather with , a sky bluer than any other month of ,' the year. Dogwoods glow with a bur- gundy light, sassafras bums like the - last glow of coals before winking out, and maples are a rich and buttery yellow. Here in Rappahannock County ' color marches up the mountains and -dims as it climbs^Autumn has already made its staflment on color in the cooler air of higher altitudes. 1 Birds from the north have ; already arrived to spend the winter far south of their nesting grounds in ■ New England and Canada. Yesterday • afternoon, as light was fading from the sky, I heard the sleepy, reassuring “chink, chink” of White-throated . Sparrows as they settled down for the ; night in the protective density of clumps of Forsythia along Route 522 ; in Flint Hill.
So far I have not seen a Junco: • that sparrow-like bird of charcoal gray and white that Thoreau wrote of having, “... the winter sky on his back and the snow-covered fields on his belly.” Juncos will arrive later in .' flocks that show white outer tail ; feathers as they dart up and away ; with twittering flight.
The temporary reprieve from winter, Indian Summer this year is yet to come. For a week or two in November days will be hazy with saffron light and temperatures mild in the upper 60s and low 70s; shirtsleeve weather good for raking leaves and pulling up summer’s okra and tomato plants no longer bearing gifts.
I went to the Rappahannock Library in search of insights and facts
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