Just Life

Watercolor Wednesday | Bright Blue Weather.

from Saturday morning’s walk to the lake with HollyMy dad shared this poem with me last week. It was new to me, but he said he remembered learning it in grade school. He grew up in southern Alabama where the seasons don’t change nearly as noticeably as they do here in Atlanta. I’m guessing it must’ve been hard for those kids to imagine what “bright blue weather” was like when it was still hot (and most likely humid). But he went to college here and those falls might’ve been his first real taste of what October is all about! (well, bright blue weather and college football!)October’s Bright Blue WeatherO suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October’s bright blue weather;
When loud the bumble-bee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And Golden-Rod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;
When Gentians roll their fringes tight
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning;
When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields, still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;
When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers, hour by hour,
October’s bright blue weather.O suns and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October’s bright blue weather. ~ Helen Hunt Jackson 

12 thoughts on “Watercolor Wednesday | Bright Blue Weather.”

  1. The poem describes well the way it looks in my neighborhood this year. We have had a picture perfect October. I would like to hang your watercolor in my living room!

  2. My Dad used to quote poems he learned in school too. Once he got going on a poem, he would recite it to the end. This is one of the poems he knew and reading it brings back such good memories of walks and picnics we would take at this time of year.

  3. There is nothing quite like a blue October sky. This poem is new to me and I truly enjoyed it. I do still love June best, though, since the promise of summer is ahead of us rather than behind us.

  6. What a lovely poem; I always think of October as bright blue weather. There are times when I long to live in the West because it seems like they have this stunning sky for at least three seasons. They've also got some extraordinary blue bodies of water due to glacial flour that totally captivate me. I wish these colors could be captured in yarn!

  8. I have lived in Fairhope, Alabama for the past 3 years-transplanted from Louisville,KY. I always get homesick this time of year due to the lack of the fall season in this area. My husband and I always travel a bit north so we can see some fall foliage. I really miss the changing of the seasons.

    2. Yes I miss all the seasons actually! It was a major change moving to the deep south. The plus side is living close to Gulf Shores. I enjoy reading your blog on Ravelry about knitting & reading. I love to do both as well! If you would like to add me to your friends list my name is MelindaKaye1968! Thank You!

  9. Superb! Bothe the "painting" and the poem – a lovely match! I too am so glad we have the seasons! Have enjoyed al my life! Cheers~

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