Signs of Summer #phenology

The feral lilac bushes up the road have just barely started to display flower buds. There are several patches of prairie smoke close to the  lilacs. Their buds have developed but are unopened. Roadside poison ivy is emerging looking unfortunately healthy and robust. The weekend promises to be damp but, perhaps, not a washout.

prairie smoke with closed flower buds

Photo by J. Harrington

I'm unsure of the species, but the fields I walked through to check on the lilacs were full of dragonflies, the first ones I've seen this season. It's possible they were four-spotted skimmers. The arrival of dragonflies is one of my signs of Summer. They seem to have arrived within days of the arrival of the seasons first mosquitoes and, for all I know, the two species emerged concurrently. I think that's how it's supposed to work with predators and prey. Speaking of predators and prey, maybe we'll get lucky this weekend and actually trap one of the  returned pocket gophers. We noticed fresh mounds in the back yard this morning.

the dragonflies in the field looked like this four-spotted skimmer

Photo by J. Harrington

Coolish, damp weather presents challenges in terms of what to wear digging into gopher tunnels and what to eat to restore some strength after eating. (I know, first world problems.) It feels too cool for salads and too warm for comfort food like mac and cheese. We'll just do the best we can to enjoy as much as we can of this COVID-19 affected Memorial Day weekend. We hope you do the same.

Fly, Dragonfly!

By Joyce Sidman

Water nymph, you have

climbed from the shallows to don

your dragon-colors.

Perched on a reed stem

all night, shedding your skin, you dry

your wings in moonlight. 

Night melts into day.

Swift birds wait to snap you up.

Fly, dragonfly! Fly!

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