CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - With the dizzying rush of fall activities, it's easy to feel slightly off kilter this time of year.
We are now paying for our late summer lull with increased fall home chores, work demands, new plays, movies and social engagements. And, if you have school-age children, well, say no more.
Isn't it ironic that the fall Equinox, with its diminishing days of sunlight, arrives just as our schedule heats up? It's when we in the Northern Hemisphere notice our daylight hours growing shorter. But, it really means that we are having equal parts of daylight and dark skies, for the time being.
Could it be that it's the demands we place on ourselves that's out of balance? (I didn't think so.)
Fall officially arrives mid-afternoon Sept. 22, probably during a football game or while you're attending to chores. It sneaks in almost unannounced, then, Bam, Summer is history.
The Equinox is merely a seasonal signpost in our Earth's orbit around the sun. The word actually means equal night. To some cultures in South America, it means
"time standing still." So, if you've ever wished for time to stand still, this is your chance.
Ancient scientists noticed that seasonally the sun would only rise in the sky to a certain point overhead (with the highest point occurring on the Summer Solstice).
Then it would start its decline to the lowest point on the Winter Solstice. But, smack dab in the middle are the fall and spring Equinoxes. Because on those days the sun does not go any higher or any lower, it appears to stand still.
When I visited Peru about a year ago. I marveled at a stone placed by the Incas at the open-air temple of the sun in Peru's Machu Picchu. It marks the Equinoxes.
It is positioned on the top of mountain surrounded by other steep jagged mountaintops in the Andes. A half mile straight down below us was what the locals call the Sacred Valley.
It's a scenic view and dizzying, both because of the thin air and because of the height. Did I mention that it can be a little windy up there?
To visit it you have to walk up a series of uneven steps cut by the Incas in stone. The journey is not an easy one for those spooked by heights. There aren't any railings to stop you from literally falling off the edge of the mountain.
But, from that vantage point, you could feel the power of the bright sun, the force of wind in your face and the solid rock mass beneath your feet. If you stood still, it was very grounding, a good exercise in honoring the Equinox.
Back here in Ohio, the Fall Equinox is a good day for finding due east and due west from your yard or other favorite site for watching the sky.
Go outside around sunset or sunrise and notice the location of the sun on the horizon with respect to familiar landmarks. You can also move a landscape rock to catch the sun's rays and create your own signpost to mark the season.
Some believe that birds and butterflies take their cue from the arc of the sun, and start heading south around the time of the Fall Equinox. Already the trees and plants in your garden are starting to note the decrease in daylight and are starting to dress in fall colors.
If you plan a sunset activity, be forewarned. The sun actually sets faster around the time of an equinox. I'm told this is because the sun appears to hit the horizon at the steepest possible angle. The fastest sunsets, and sunrises, occur at or near the equinoxes. What's more, the slowest sunsets (and sunrises) occur at or near the solstices.
Ancient Europeans declared the Equinox as a holiday called Mabon. Falling in the middle of harvest it was time to celebrate the bounty the Earth provided. It was also considered the time to finish up old projects and prepare for new ones. I prefer that view over calling it the end of Summer.
Rock’n Country Line Dancing - Join Solon Center for the Arts 7-11 p.m. Sept. 27 for an evening of dinner and music featuring at the Solon Community Center, 35000 Portz Parkway.
The event includes line dance instruction at 8 p.m. and RiverHawk Band at 9 p.m. It is for adults 21 and over.
Tickets are $20 tickets and include wash for drinks. Contact 440-337-1400 or visit www.solonarts.org.
Plant seeds for the future - The Geauga Master Gardeners are holding a program 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sept. 21 with Barb Begam. She will take you through the steps of choosing seeds, dividing plants and taking cuttings. Save money and enjoy the plants you love year after year.
The cost is $15. Call 440-834-4656 to register. Send check payable to OSU Extension, PO Box 387, Burton, Ohio 44021. Class will be held at the Geauga County OSU Extension Office, Patterson Center on the Burton Fairgrounds, 14269 Claridon Troy Road in Burton. 44021. View updates at geauga.osu.edu.
More Trees Please – Learn to select and care for your trees at a free program 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at The West Woods Nature Center.
Geauga OSU Extension Master Gardeners, the Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District and the Geauga County Storm Water Task Force will provide local experts in tree selection, maintenance, insects, landscaping and woodlot management. Whether you own a small lot or many acres, there is something for everyone at this program.
Visit the Tropics - The Federated Church Elderlife group is heating things up 12:30 p.m. Sept 26 for its monthly luncheon at the Family Life Center, 16349 Chillicothe Rd. in Bainbridge.
Guests will be entertained by the
steel band, Island Jeff's Palm Tree Telegraph and should limber up for a limbo
and hula hoop contest. The cost is $10. Reservations are due by Sept. 20 by
calling 440-247-6490. Payment can be made at the door with a reservation.
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