What is it about September – I always get a twinge of melancholy in September. I don’t know why. It comes early in the month, stays for a short visit and then moves on. Perhaps it’s part of the seasonal changes.
Really bad traffic jams – I’ve never been involved in one of those big accidents that ties everyone up for hours. Not until this past week. There was a huge accident on an interstate in New York that involved three tractor trailers. One driver died. We passed it on our way to our destination. The accident was on the other side. We came back down about five hours later hoping it would be cleared. It wasn’t. We took an alternative route but so did everyone else. A simple drive that normally takes 20 minutes took close to two hours. We sat at stop lights for five minutes before moving ten feet. I have a better appreciation and sympathy for those people who are caught in jams for hours on end. I had a feeling of claustrophobia because there was nowhere we could go. Nor could any police or ambulance so I hoped that there were no emergencies.
Great weather! – After a summer of abnormally high temperatures, the weather is fabulous. However…(and there always is one)…along with nice weather comes the outdoor work that we didn’t do all summer along with fall cleanup. We have started working on it. It’s easier to do when the weather cooperates. (Maybe this contributed to my melancholy…)
Speaking of outdoor work –The groundhogs are annoyed. For two years they have eaten ALL the peaches so we cut down the trees. The apple tree came down too. Fruit trees are work. It’s easier to get my fruit at the farmer’s market. The bonus is that the garden won’t be shaded at all.
Concert tickets – I am the techie in this house (yes, I know that is hard to believe). We decided to get tickets for a concert on-line through the venue’s box office. The beloved husband clicked on what he thought was the venue site. The URL said so. It wasn’t. It was a secondary resale place (the concert wasn’t sold out) with price gouging. The ticket prices were double what was listed in our local newspaper. He balked. I intervened and we found the right site. It was tricky because these websites are set up to look like the real thing. There oughta be a law against that.
So how was your week?
I know what you’re talking about with the ticket gouging! I’ve actually had it happen to me and I didn’t catch it in time! Good for you. And how fun to see Kris Kristofferson. I would love that concert! I don’t know where you’re seasonal malaise fits in, but for me, fall signals the beginning of the end of the year, and I start to feel a little anxious! Summer, even in its awful heat, is always a season I welcome. I think I tap into the feelings of childhood and freedom. Fall comes along, and the adult in me kicks in! I think that’s a reason to feel a little melancholy. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wonder if we’ve missed other concerts because the tickets were too $$ (or so we thought). I think that’s just wrong. I love your explanation of the summer-fall thing. Come June, I do feel free (even though I’m retired so essentially free all year). I get all nostalgic for my childhood summers which were the best. Then it’s September and it’s all over. When I worked I always tried to take vacation in September to make the summer longer.
LikeLike
Great randoms. I never heard of a ticket resale site. Glad you have a sunny garden now… the ground hogs will just have to look elsewhere for sustenance. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember that your husband disappointed them by taking out the entire garden! I’m getting there….
LikeLike
Too bad about the fruit trees. We are still dealing with above normal hot (low 90’s). I am guessing about another 2 weeks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’re out of the 90s now but still close to 10 degrees higher than normal. Felt badly about the trees. They did their jobs well and weren’t infested with insects or disease. Damn groundhogs.
LikeLike
I have some sad this September. It is still hot and humid although that is suppose to change next week. Taking down your fruit trees fixed those pesky groundhogs!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Removing the peach trees was sad. They were great producing trees. It’s done now. No more fruit trees! We have rain here with a side of humidity.
LikeLike
We had a peach tree that CH was so proud of but the electric co-op sprayed it so it wouldn’t interfere with the electric lines. It wasn’t even close. It didn’t survive the spraying. We never got a peach from it because the critters got to them first. I think CH was just thrilled to have a peach tree. I understand the sadness. We had to take down another Oak last Wednesday, another victim of the oak borer. We have lots of little trees popping up all over and that makes me happy… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Death by electric company. Not a fitting epitaph!
LikeLike
No, not fitting at all. We weren’t happy but they weren’t concerned about that. It was within their rather wide easement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tell the Beloved Husband that he shouldn’t feel bad. I did the exact same thing has he did just last night when I was looking at Peter Frampton. I could not BELIEVE the prices until I realized I had come to a ticket resale site also. Once I found the actual venue, it was more reasonable (though I still balked because I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend even that much!).
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so easy to end up at the wrong spot. Fortunately we had read the article that gave the price range or we would have thought that’s what the price was (and probably passed on the concert). Saw Frampton several years ago. He did a good show. I think he was with Kansas or someone from that era.
LikeLike
I didn’t get that melancholy last year when I was doing the Tupelo 30/30 although my cat Mac and my father had just died. This year I feel it because I’m not doing much of anything except working and trying not to work and feeling sorry for myself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It seems like a lot of people get melancholy at this time of year. Makes me wonder.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe it’s just the changing sunlight?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very good guess. Shortening days. Seasonal Affected Disorder….
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so. I know that my aunt and the gardener both have SAD pretty bad. That is how I ended up in PHoenix, I guess. While I don’t have it that bad, there is something gray that settles on one at this time of year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A good friend gets it. She even bought the special lights for it. I haven’t seen her in a few years (she moved away) but she said they helped.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I imagine they would help. We, of course, had to up and move instead of getting lights ;).
LikeLiked by 1 person
In the long run, that’s a better solution!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mebbe
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, there are “Faux domains” everywhere, fixed up to look like the real sites (when they don’t look like porn). Scams and ripoffs abound. Lucky the husband has you, and not a Nigerian prince. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I almost got engaged to a Nigerian prince but they wanted a bigger dowry. Cats wasn’t enough.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a bit melancholy myself. Been in my basset hound pjs all day…with the windows open so I sort of been enjoying the weather.
Love the apple photo. Groundhogs. And the pond is about to close for the season…sigh…it just flew by, didn’t it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It did fly by. Why does it go so fast! A day in pjs. I haven’t done that since my last surgery! Enjoy!
LikeLike
I realize I still miss Carmela. I do. sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
At least you know where she is and that she is in a great home.
LikeLike
That’s true, and she’s better off there than anywhere. I just miss her…we were such pals she and I. sigh
LikeLiked by 1 person
You had too much loss within a short time span.
LikeLike
I know, but it’s kinda the deal as you get older. On a sweeter note, Tallulah, aka Snowball, the Bichon who moved to Atlanta, sent me a belated birthday card, with her picture. See Kate, the 4-legged never forget.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awwww…..how sweet!
LikeLike
yeah…I laminated it and put it on my book shelf. She really helped me heal from Carmela. She moved next door the next day. Amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s that ‘a door closes another opens’ thing.
LikeLike
Exactly 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really love September – weather and all! The temps are good (it can get a little warm, but not so far this year) and the crowds are gone. My melancholy months are January and February. By that time, I’m tired of the cold (well, at least the cold of SoCal), and spring hasn’t sprung yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I get a touch of it back in late January when all there is to look forward to are six weeks of bitter cold.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Although September is a lovely month, it makes me melancholy too. I don’t know why. Then there’s the annual fall craving for carbs ~ thank goodness that doesn’t last long!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not a candy eater but come October, I will eat a bag of those tiny Snickers squares. Then I’m done for another year. Don’t know why. Oh yes, and pumpkin or apple cake. Yum! Now I am looking forward to that! A shrink would have a field day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For me it’s breads and squash and potatoes. And, yes, cake works for me too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmmmmm….I’m with you. Soups with fresh baked bread!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can you send a little of your weather our way, Kate? It’s still hot and humid…not conducive for my annual fall decorating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The rain stopped and the humidity moved in so at this point I doubt if you want our weather. Just cloudy and steamy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Techie, eh. Good for you. There is much crime in web. I do the old fashion way and purchase it at the ticket master. You and my sister sounds similar in tech. Weather wise, September is about beating the blues. No wonder garden is so green, not a shade for critters to hide.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The best way is get tickets at the real box office!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this weather. I just got back from a bike ride and it was glorious! A few trees have a few leaves that are starting to change. Everything is fresh and clean (after last night’s rain). Did I tell you I love this weather?
For me September is really the new year! From 5 years old to 65 years old, September marked the start of the new (school) year. It makes me nostalgic and I intend to enjoy it!
Loved your post as usual!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have had great weather all week but now it is raining. It is a good steady rain which we need so I’m not complaining. It’s a good excuse to veg inside or read.
LikeLike
Funny you should mention traffic. I commute now and while going in isn’t usually so bad, heading home can be a nightmare! I watch how people drive selfishly and I’ve decided that there wouldn’t be half the car wrecks and traffic jams there are if people would just chill and be one of the pack instead of trying to get ahead of everyone else. Oh well, that will never happen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For one job a long time ago I had a 40 minute commute. It could be 40 minutes or it could be closer to 60 depending on how stupid people were. I lived in northern New Jersey for a while. You learn a different style of driving there. Yikes!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can understand the melancholy feeling in September. I love he freedom of summer and though I also love be fall I know I winter is right around the corner and I’m not a fan.
I’ve been in my share of long traffic jams and they’re not fun. When you’re on a highway and there are no exits around and nowhere to escape, there is a sense of claustrophobia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps that is it. The melancholy often revisits in January after the holidays when I know I have the winter to get through.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fall used to make me sad. Moving to Florida eliminated that annual depression. Now I look forward to the arrival of cooler temps and lower humidity . . . because I know it won’t snow. 😉
Glad you found the right site for those tickets. I wonder if the venue can do something about the imposter site?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It may very well be weather related although we’ve been enjoying some fabulous weather. When I first looked over his shoulder it certainly looked like the right site (except for the outrageous prices) but I backed out to the search engine again. The was another site that was very similar and THAT one turned out to be the real one. Another person might think the cheap seats were sold out. This is for Kris Kristofferson. Although I am a huge fan, I don’t think he’s a big draw that would sell out in minutes. Even the real site was not intuitive.
LikeLike