Entering Deep Summer #phenology update

Last week milkweed buds began to develop. Yellow goat's beard, at least the early blooms, have turned into puffy seed heads. Crown vetch has come into flower. Hairy and purple vetch, not so much yet.

Temperatures and humidity are rising. We've put the first half of the year behind us (as if time were a loaf of bread that could be sliced that way). Since temperatures rise at this time of year, we suppose that means we're in the height of Summer. But, we haven't yet reached Summer's midpoint (July 17 for meteorological Summer; August 7 for astronomical Summer), so, if Summer were a woods, we'd still be going deeper into it, until we started back out after passing the midpoint.

common milkweed flower buds

Photo by J. Harrington

The rainy season continues from June into July. Most local streams and rivers are still running at least bank full. We've not been doing as much fishing as we'd like so July may be the month to start compensatory activity. We're looking forward to the possibility of seeing wild turkey hens with their poults later this month. The whitetail does and their fawns have already stopped by to visit and enjoy a snack of our plantings. A day or so ago we managed to assist a painted turtle across our road and onto the grassed verge. She didn't snap and hiss at us the way the snapping turtle did a week or ten days ago. Sightings of butterflies have still been sparse, nor have we inspected the bottoms of many milkweed leaves for monarch eggs or caterpillars. We continue to wonder about protecting pollinators while also working to eradicate invasive wild flowers that grow along many of our roadsides, especially since those may be the only flowers available.

yellow goat's beard seed head

Photo by J. Harrington

Today, July 1, is Canada Day. Our neighbor to the North became a nation on this day in 1867. We'll celebrate the U.S.' Independence Day later this week. It's looking doubtful if the brush pile will have dried out enough to provide anything more than smoke but we'll keep our fingers crossed.

Birth of Canada as a Nation, July First, 1867

James McIntyre- 1828-1906

Hail Britannia's noblest daughter,
Who is surrounded by the water
Of many a lake and broad sea,
Land of beaver and of maple tree.

Her lofty brow is wreathed with smiles,
For from the far Atlantic isles
In pomp have come their delegates,
All seeking to unite their fates.

With Canada great northern queen,
And now throughout the land is seen,
High festival and stately dance,
Triumphant nuptials to advance.

And soon shall Red River valley
And distant Vancouver rally,
To form this Empire gigantic
From Pacific to Atlantic.

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