Get ready for equal parts of day and night!

The Autumnal Equinox actually occurs at 11:03 PM, CDT on Sept. 22, 2006. This means that there will be precisely 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night.

In ancient times, the fall equinox was considered to be the second harvest with the first harvest being around the first of August.

Now, with agriculture being approached from a more scientific perspective, harvests may be as late as November or December in some North American regions.

Still the autumnal equinox is a time of celebration for me. I celebrate all of nature&8217;s holidays with equal enthusiasm. These are holidays that have been around since the beginning of our solar system and will (according to scientists) be around until the end of time as we know it.

While riding around the towns of central Alabama recently, I noticed some trees starting to change to their fall colors. Perhaps the lack of rain didn&8217;t hurt the beautiful show that nature provides for us each year.

I noticed that after our nice rain showers last week the robins came back to my yard scratching around for worms and other delectable treats that were deep in the ground because of the drought.

It&8217;s time to welcome fall by offering our neighbors a showing of color in our gardens. I found three varieties of sunflowers in a local nursery the other day. They have beautiful deep rust, orange and yellow petals and are the low growing types.

After the flowers fade they will turn to bird food for my feathery friends that I enjoy watching so much every afternoon.

Tip: It&8217;s still mosquito breeding season, so keep your bird baths clean and full of fresh water.

Happy fall equinox