The Month of The Cat

August is always such a muddled month. Muddled in the way that the wind blows, gusts, and meanders over everything seemingly unnecessarily.

Being a Leo, I guess I am like a cat, I hate the wind. I know in my heart that wind is important in nature's big scheme of things, but it still annoys me, ruffles my mane, and irritates my persona !!

There are dry leaves everywhere. Our gigantic fig spews forth tons of leaves and berries, buying the deck under a cloak of gold and brown. The tiny figs batter the roof relentlessly and the jacarandas rain down a cotyledon cloak covering the roads, the lawns, the very fabric of society.

The gardeners sweep and sweep to no avail, resting on their long brooms hopelessly to watch the cars swirl the leafy piles back onto the roads. The fine, frond carpet compounding the problem and mixing with the dry dust to make a malevolent August cocktail.

In the spring gardens, the iceberg poppies, the sweet peas and the calendulas toss their pretty heads in disdain at the wind, the sweet peas holding on tight with their little curly fingers. The roses, fresh and cheeky from their winter pruning, are forcing blood red shoots up towards the warm autumn sun. The rose beetles and aphids are licking their lips in excitement at the thought of new fresh succulent sap and the prospect of tiny buds to much on!!

The Amaryllis buds are peeping through the leaf mulch with the promise of a spectacular crimson show in less than a month, and the usually drab Orchids have dozens of shoots that look remarkably promising.

But still the wind persists, racing across the dusty earth, laughing and swirling, creating mini mischievous whirlwinds, tornados and hurricanes.

Doors slam incessantly in the houses, the bids wing their way skittishly from grass frond to grass frond, swaying in the breeze in giddy excitement as the stems dip and duck almost to the ground.

The winter is over, and the summer pushes forward into all its fiery glory.

Come on wind, I challenge you to blow from the north this year instead of from the south, bringing us some much needed rain.