Can Summer have a nadir?

Heat, humidity, thunderstorms, tornado watches, deer flies, smoke from Canadian wildfires -- must be Summer in the North Country. At least the air conditioning has kept working so far, although that hasn't done much to dissipate the heat under my collar generated by all the nonsense emanating from the political sector this week.

four-spotted skimmer dragonfly

Photo by J. Harrington

I did a quick check yesterday and learned that many (but not enough to satisfy me) creatures feed on deer flies. Last summer and this one we've had a superabundance of deer flies and a sparsity of dragon flies. I have no idea what's going on there except I like it better when there's more dragonflies eating deer flies so there's fewer deer flies trying to eat me. Plus, I just like dragonflies.

We've finally started to see some wild turkey poults with the hens. It's obvious the poults have no idea wnat a motor vehicle is all about but they do a pretty good job of following "mom" into the weedy roadside ditches and disappearing. The pale bracts of spotted horsemint (Monarda punctata) have become obvious in the fields behind the house. 

We're rapidly approaching the festival of Lughnasadh on August 1. Summer begins to slide into harvest season which flows into Autumn. This summer has been one of the least enjoyable I can remember, compounded by the fact that I've yet to wet a fly line (see first sentence above).

The Dragonfly

by Louise Bogan

You are made of almost nothing
But of enough
To be great eyes
And diaphanous double vans;
To be ceaseless movement,
Unending hunger,
Grappling love.

Link between water and air,
Earth repels you.
Light touches you only to shift into iridescence
Upon your body and wings.

Twice-born, predator,
You split into the heat.
Swift beyond calculation or capture
You dart into the shadow
Which consumes you.

You rocket into the day.
But at last, when the wind flattens the grasses,
For you, the design and purpose stop.

And you fall
With the other husks of summer.  

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Summertime, and the living is ...?

Some of the local corn fields have started to tassel. Deer fly numbers have erupted. Temperatures have been above what's considered "normal." Although it seems like it's been a wet year, year-to-date precipitation is close to normal according to the state climatology office. It's once again becoming clear to me why Autumn is my favorite season, although we've been enjoying lots of berries (and ice cream) for desert and that helps offset the discomfort recent humidity has been creating.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Photo by J. Harrington

Over the past couple of weeks, mouse activity has increased to a level we usually see in late August and early September. I can't even begin to guess why. Almost every day I've had to empty and reset at least one of the traps.

On a more cheery topic, some of the wild flower seeds we've scattered over the past few years are producing blossoms this year. We have some black-eyed Susans joining the butterfly weed on the slope behind the house. There's also a different yellow flower that's not yet been identified. The pear tree looks to have at least some pears this year and one of the whitetail does was regularly feeding under the tree for a week or so in the afternoon. Last, for now, but far from least, swamp milkweed is blooming near the wet spot behind the house. While doing some yard work today I saw what I think was a Monarch butterfly on one of the purple(?) flowers.

Despite some anomalous episodes, I find it reassuring to note that much of nature is behaving pretty much as expected and/or as climate scientists told us to expect. Decades ago a little llater in this season, I enjoyed watching Janis Joplin in concert at Harvard Stadium. Here's a version of one of the high points from her set list that night: Summertime (sorry about the opening ads).

Answer July

by Emily Dickinson

386

Answer July -

Where is the Bee -

Where is the Blush -

Where is the Hay?

Ah, said July -

Where is the Seed -

Where is the Bud -

Where is the May -

Answer Thee - Me -

Nay - said the May -

Show me the Snow -

Show me the Bells -

Show me the Jay!

Quibbled the Jay -

Where be the Maize -

Where be the Haze -

Where be the Bur?

Here - said the Year -

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Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.