The lone hummingbird flies as the evening softens. The Night Song chorus is preparing a concert book. August says I am but three days old; I have a lot of life left. This August will be special; I will solve the world’s problems, and people will forget about the fantastic fall. ‘After all, I am part of the Big 3, you know,’ August says with gusto. ‘June, July, August are meteorological summer,’ August winked. ‘I have not had a week to produce my master plan for summer year-round and Christmas on the Beach,’ August laughed. ‘A change is coming, welcomed by some and not by others,’ Annie August noted. ‘I have been held back too long; it is my time to shine and show,’ August danced.

‘Hi, Ms August, Sally September said. ‘I will need a place to hang my sweater and light jacket next month,’ Sally S continued. ‘I think I will sleep in the woods where the leaves make such a wonderful multicolored blanket,’ Sally S mused. ‘Do you have hot chocolate in the cupboard?’ Sally S asked with a wink. ‘I will start by saying you can feel fall in the air the third week of August; after that, they will think it is already September,’ Sally S grinned. ‘Folks have romantic ideas about me: ambiance, mood, cool walks in the woods, crackling fires in the fireplaces…,’ Sally S said dreamily.

‘Carved pumpkins, eating pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes, Pumpkin Cologne, pumpkin sweaters and neckties,’ October said with a laugh. ‘My fan club will not recall your names once I arrive,’ Oscar October said with a saunter. ‘I am the King of Fall, the big kahuna focus of the season,’ Oscar O proclaimed. ‘Ghost stories and bobbing for apples, hayrides, Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horseman,’ Oscar O noted with a wink and a nod. ‘I bring the children Halloween decorations like Christmas for Halloween costumes and candy and old monster movies,’ Oscar O laughed with a mouth like a Jack-O-Lantern. ‘It is warm enough to enjoy the outside with a sweater or a jacket and a good hat in my month,’ Oscar O explained. ‘The leaves are majestic in their color; people drive to Maine to see them,’ Oscar O continued. ‘We think of and plan for the unparalleled greats in my month, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and then I am gone,’ Oscar October said softly.

‘I think November has the prize for Pumpkin Pie,’ Ned November offered. ‘Pilgrims and Native Americans learning how to smoke and plant corn,’ Ned offered. ‘Turkey is our Bird,’ Ned N said with the confidence of someone who had known a lot of turkeys.  ‘Thankfulness, you know, is compelling,’ Ned N grinned. ‘I love coat sweater jacket weather,’ Ned N offered. ‘There is Nip in the air and a little Nip in the coffee,’ Ned N laughed. ‘We think about the good the year has brought us and forget the bad,’ Ned N continued. ‘Home sense of place reflection around the hearth family,’ Ned November offered with a tear in his eye.

‘I hope you did not forget Good Old Santa Claus,’ Santa said. ‘This Christmas will be special, but then again, aren’t they all,’ Santa said. ‘Now come the long nights, the short days and days of understanding,’ Santa noted. ‘We must share with all of the human family a lesson for life,’ Santa noted. ‘Warm yellow mittens and sleigh bells, crisp apple strudel and kittens’ whiskers, or something like that the song says,’ Santa laughed. ‘Ralphie said, ‘Oh Boy that is mine,’ and so do we all,’ Santa observed. ‘This Christmas let us give what we would like to receive,’ Santa observed.