A July Type of Attitude

Across the Fence #295

It’s the first week of July and the second half of the year has begun. Where did the first half go? I’m a certified member of the Over the Hill Gang and every member knows that you pick up more speed as you go. It’s quite a ride, but it would be nice if we could apply the brakes once in a while, so we don’t go flying off some hairpin curve.

It’s funny how age changes our perspective on things. When I was in seventh grade, my grandfather, Oscar Hanson, died. I thought he was an old man. When I was looking up some family history information this week, I realized he was 66 years old. Uff da! He was my age when he died. I wonder if he ever felt like a young guy trapped in an old, aching body?

I guess age and how we approach life is really an attitude. When our relatives from Norway visited us last month, Arne Olav Østrem told me about a client he does taxes for. He asked the old farmer, who was 81, when he was going to retire from farming. “Why should I quit farming?” the old farmer said. “Where would I find a job at my age?”

It reminded me of my relative, Alf Tomtengen. He was still farming and milking cows at 90 years of age. He was proud that he was still able to farm at an age when most people have been retired for years. I asked if he planned to retire some day. “I think when I’m able to work, I should have something to do,” Alf replied.

Both of those old farmers had what I call a July type of attitude. The world is alive with color, sounds, and smells, and they didn’t want to miss any of it.

As I mentioned, we began the second half of the year on July 2. If I was creating a calendar, I’d never begin the year on January 1. It’s often bitterly cold, the world is covered in a layer of white, and very few people or animals are active. Animals and birds with any sense, are either hibernating or have flown south for the winter.

I’d begin the calendar year at the halfway point… July. It’s a beautiful time of year. The world is alive with color and life. Trees and bushes are filled with leaves of every shade of green. Crops in the fields are growing. Corn was almost chest high by the 4th of July this year. This is when the earth is alive, and it rubs off on all who inhabit the land. Who could venture along a tree-lined country road, where the ditches are filled with colorful wildflowers, and feel depressed?

But I’m also a realist and know that not everything about July is positive to everyone. I don’t care much for all the mosquitoes and pesky bugs either. After all the rain we’ve had lately, there should be no shortage of mosquitoes. On the positive side, the birds love them.

I can’t talk about July and our abundance of rain without mentioning lawns and grass. I made the mistake of fertilizing our yard this spring. Being frugal, I didn’t put that much on, but any amount was too much this year. This is where my July attitude wears a little thin. I’ve come to the conclusion that grass is good for one thing. It beats the muddy mess you have if you don’t have grass. Other than that, I’m thinking of planting the whole back yard with wildflowers. They’re much more colorful than grass, they come back each year with no need for special treatment or expensive fertilizer, and you don’t need to waste time and money mowing them down every week. I mow the grass every week, and it just keeps coming back. The dead grass is left on the lawn. People don’t even bale it up, so it’s of use to some hungry animal. Now, what’s the sense in that? I wonder who invented lawn mowing? I guess they didn’t have anything better to do. Some people have such gorgeous, pristine lawns you don’t dare to walk on them and trample down the grass. We are a strange species, aren’t we?

One more thing, July can get very hot and humid. Many people don’t like the heat. I like it. I think we tend to over air-condition our lives. As a result, it feels so much hotter when we do venture outside. I’ve been some places where I have to go outside to warm up.

Along with that, if you don’t go outside in July, you’re missing so much. You need to sit in the cool shade and listen to the wind in the trees. Watch and listen to the wind moving through tall grass along fencelines. Listen to the joyous sounds of all the birds. Watch butterflies darting among the flowers. Enjoy the evenings when the night comes alive with wonderful sights and sounds. Watch the fireflies put on their light show, lie back and gaze up at the star-filled sky, and let the crickets, frogs and tree toad chorus serenade you. July evenings are something special.

It doesn’t get much better than that. It’s July, it’s an attitude, and how you look at it is up to you.