August

If you've been following along, then you know it's time to turn a calendar page in the Book of Hours. Summer rolls on...Leo is left behind and Virgo leads the Zodiac above the sun chariot.

The month of August shows a hawking scene with two couples riding double on horses. Romantic, but uncomfortable for the ladies who look to be in the family way. They're all out for a hunt with a rich nobleman on a big white horse, and the falconer is on foot with bird and dogs. Look closely in the background, and you'll see the peasants hard at work on a hot summer day, with others skinny-dipping in the stream. They have the right idea; the rich people are all bundled up in fancy robes.

That enormous castle in the background is the Château d'Etampes in north central France. It was an early 10th-century stronghold of Robert the Pious, King of France. The tower is four stories tall, and the entrance had a simple but effective trick. As the unsuspecting intruders charged forward, they would plunge 12 feet to the basement below. Oops, forgot to mention-- the door to the staircase is off to the left.

Summer isn't over, but August always feels like the beginning of the end. The light is mellow and suddenly the days are becoming noticeably shorter. We've been in the same weather pattern for weeks now, with chilly overcast mornings and warm afternoons when the sun finally comes out. It's very dry in Seattle, despite being under cool, damp ocean air for most of the day.