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| “Harvest Home” is from one of my favorite poetry books, The Year Around. |
I read this to the children recently. They were delighted with “And walnuts plumping fast and faster”. Do you know what that is referring to?
Harvest Home
The maples flare among the spruces,
The bursting foxgrape spills its juices,
The gentians lift their sapphire fringes
On roadways rich with golden tinges,
The waddling woodchucks fill their hampers,
The deer mouse runs, the chipmunk scampers,
The squirrels scurry, never stopping,
For all they hear is apples dropping
And walnuts plumping fast and faster;
The bee weighs down the purple aster-
Yes, hive your honey, little hummer,
The woods are waving, “Farewell Summer.”
The bursting foxgrape spills its juices,
The gentians lift their sapphire fringes
On roadways rich with golden tinges,
The waddling woodchucks fill their hampers,
The deer mouse runs, the chipmunk scampers,
The squirrels scurry, never stopping,
For all they hear is apples dropping
And walnuts plumping fast and faster;
The bee weighs down the purple aster-
Yes, hive your honey, little hummer,
The woods are waving, “Farewell Summer.”
— Arthur Guiterman —
This next book is one that I thought was for just for me. However, LizzieBee presented me with a golden leaf, pronounced it a bookmark, and made me promise to read this book only with her. Funny girl. A perfect anthology, as I’m a seasons gal.
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| Autumn, edited by Gary Schmidt |
I will someday write an entire post on Edna Miller’s Mousekin Series. (I told you I loved books about mice!) Perfect for fall, this warm book (and series) gently teaches about the life of a whitefoot mouse with lots of nature lore throughout. I love the illustrations.
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| Mousekin’s Golden House, story and pictures by Edna Miller |
There, is that enough autumn goodness for you? Here is a link to my favorite autumn painting, Autumn Leaves by Millais.
Thank you so much for the book suggestions. We picked up The Year Around and it is quickly becoming my favorite!
The mouse books are so cute. I need to read them with my children. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
The Mousekin books are so cute! Marina used to love hearing them!
Enjoy Autumn. Our leaves are just starting to turn here and that crisp chill is in the air.
Peace and Laughter,
Cristina
please take care for falling walnuts!
🙂
I am SO glad you are enjoying full autumn! enjoy it extra for us since we'll miss it again this year. 🙂
much love,
amy
Judi,
Yes! Do you have a walnut tree in your back yard? We do, and if you don't get out of the way, you will get injured from the falling walnuts! "Plump" – is exactly how they sound – a dull plop sound that they make as they hit the ground.
Admiration, Hope and Love,
Nancy
"The squirrels scurry, never stopping,
For all they hear is apples falling
and walnuts plumping faster and faster;"
It looks to me like "walnuts plumping faster and faster" is just a bit of onomotopeia for the sound the squirrels hear as the walnuts fall to the ground like the apples.
Judi
Yes, I love all those too. Happy Autumn!