Hello August! Goodbye Summer! August is the eighth day of the year and considered the last month of summer. August 11 marks the end of the dog days of summer, which began on July 3. August was named after a major figure of the ancient world, Augustus Caesar (63 BC through AD 14). He was the first Roman Emperor (though he never claimed the title) and grandnephew of Julius Caesar (who you will recall from last month’s blog named July after himself).
August birth flowers are the gladiolus and the poppy. August’s is the hottest month of the year. August’s birthstone is peridot, which symbolizes strength and healing power. August 1st was traditionally known as Lammas day; an old festival to mark the annual wheat and corn harvest. This is the month to buy and serve sweet corn. I particularly love white corn. What is your preference? Do you like your corn grilled or boiled? I will take it anyway I can get it.
One of my favorite memories was when I went to a farm and picked a bushel of corn amidst the large corn fields. Whenever I think about that day, I cannot help but recall one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes.
This episode starred Billy Mumy from Lost in Space. The title is “A Very Bad Man.” He played a boy named Anthony. When Anthony was crossed, anyone criticized him, or he became angry, he would wish people to the corn field. Never to return. Anyone who knew him and came into contact with him, learned to placate him and agreed with anything he said and did whatever he told them. The most memorable line stays with me, which was, “That is a good thing you did, Anthony!” this is what the rest of the crowd said after someone disappeared. This is something that has lived on, and the phrase is often used by me, as it captures perfectly how to avoid the consequences of a conflict by just acquiescing to evil or bad behavior. As Edmond Burke said, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Rod Serling, the creator of the Twilight Zone was a great thinker, philosopher, and prophet. He had a great command and understanding of the human condition. It is frightening how many of the story lines about the future unfortunately and sadly come true. The original Twilight Zone episodes are perfect to binge watch this month when you are trying to get out of the heat and in the comfort of your airconditioned home.
In addition to the corn harvest, August is a month to look at the stars and gaze at the moon. The first full moon is on August 1. It is known as the Sturgeon Moon because it is near to Earth in the orbit, which astronomers call perigee – it is also a Super Moon. The second full moon in August is on August 31, and it is not only a Super Moon, it is a Blue Moon. A Blue Moon is an extra full moon in an astronomical season.
A super moon is when a full moon takes place when the moon is near its closest approach to Earth known as perigee. A super full moon looks 7 percent larger than an average full moon. There are higher tides at a super moon. Fishermen, take note. Time to throw out your line.
We can thank the Christian ecclesiastical calendar as the reason why the full moon of the season is called the Blue Moon. The calendar uses the phases of the moon to determine the exact dates of the holidays of Lent and Easter. The extra moon became known as the Blue Moon.
If you want to see meteor showers, they will be prolific and reach its maximum between August 11 and 13. If you miss them, look up at the sky on August 16, you may catch one with g the new moon.
Some interesting holidays in August to note:
August 1 through the 7 is International Clown Week
August 3, National Watermelon Day
August 10, National Smores Day
August 12, Vinyl Record Day
August 25, Kiss and Make Up Day
August 26, Woman’s Equality Day, which celebrates the 1920 ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
For me, August is always a time to try and do all the things I love about summer before it is too late. Some of the items on my to do list this month are more beach days, getting to those summer reads I promised to finish, dining al fresco, star gazing, smores, barbeques, corn, laying on the hammock and not doing anything, and taking time off.
Enjoy August and all it has to offer. Seize the day.
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