As I write this column, it is the morning after Hurricane Ida washed through here. The sun is shining without a cloud in the crystal blue sky.

The other day I was listening to a program about 9/11/2001 and they mentioned the torrential rain of September 10, 2001, and then the clear blue sky on 9/11. Throughout the past 20 years, mornings like today, super blue sky, remind me of that fateful day, 20 years ago.

The Kenoza Lake and Jeffersonville United Methodist Women are working together to discuss planning ideas. The Women will be meeting at the Jeffersonville United Methodist Church on Monday, September 20th, 7:00 pm. If you would like more information, please contact Joy Sennett or Janet Terwilliger.

September means chrysanthemums! I was at Diehls’ Farmstand of Kenoza Lake last Sunday and they had a gorgeous display of mums for sale, reasonable prices! (plus, many other fresh fruits and vegetables) L & M Greenhouses of Bethel will be selling their mums soon as well.

THOUGHT PROVOKING. I live in the Sullivan West school district and the other day I received the 2021/2022 Sullivan West school calendar in the mail. I thought I would give it a quick review. Noteworthy that although the recently recognized June 19th Juneteenth holiday was added to the calendar, the 4th of July is not on the calendar. And although Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are on the calendar, Christmas and Easter are not on the calendar. Columbus Day is still on the calendar as is Thanksgiving. Presidents’ Day was incorrected labeled as President’s Day and Veterans Day was identified as Veteran’s Day. (There shouldn’t be an apostrophe in Veterans Day). Hopefully the Board of Education will take note of this.

Last Sunday, I stopped by the Farmers’ Market in Jeffersonville and was delighted to see Eileen Reimer at a booth selling her goods. Eileen makes delicious carrot cakes, apple cakes, zucchini bread. Eileen also makes some gorgeous, quilted potholders.

THOUGHT PROVOKING. Not sure if you heard this or not, however as of September 1st, the Chinese Government is clamping down on how many hours a week their youth, under the age of 18 can play video games. Video games cannot be played from Monday to Thursday. They can be played from 8:00 pm to 9 pm on Friday, Saturday, Sundays and on holidays with a maximum of three hours a week. Thought provoking. Wake up America, someone’s eating our lunch.

Suffice it to say that I am deeply saddened by the recent turn of events in Afghanistan.

Faithful readers of this column know that I write about Great Egrets each August. In recent years, there was a Great Egret on Kenoza Lake, near the Moulthrop homestead. I haven’t seen a Great Egret on Kenoza Lake this year but there has been one on Briscoe Pond. I tried to take a photo of the Briscoe Pond one the other day without success. As you may know, the Great Egret is the signature bird of the Audubon Society, as the Great Egret almost became extinct, due to the demand of their plumage for women’s hats.

Time to increase the sugar content of your hummingbird nectar as the hummingbirds attempt to stock up prior to their annual migration south, which takes place during the upcoming weeks, just prior to the first day of fall. The male hummers will leave first.

“Shanah tovah” (Good Year) to our Jewish friends and community.

No column next week.