New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff
The Monsoons have not let up yet.
Wednesday 07/08/2009
Yesterday's afternoon thunder storm quickly added an inch and a half to my rain gauge. Though it rained in Maine at my camp on the 4th and both Friday and Saturday nights I came home to find my rain gauge nearly dry. But we have had rain every day since then. And this mornings steady rain is no exception. Hopefully this current low setting over Canada will move on unlike the last several that have stalled for a week or more.
And speaking of camp. Our annual family gathering at the camp for the 4th was much more interesting this year. Our camp has been turned into a castle. Well actually the camp stayed this same of about 25X20 in size, but we gained a mote with all the rain in Maine. The lake was up the highest I have ever seen it in 50 years that I have been there and the lake backed flooded the heath and even our access road turning the spit of land holding our camp into an island. Although the roads was somewhat flooded when I was there the week before in the rain this time the water was much deeper. It was at least two feet deep for the hundred plus yards across the low area to the high ground at camp's end. Now our access road is only slightly wider than our vehicles and on either side thanks to the local beaver who have used our access road as a convenient dam for decades plus the dam below the road means that either side of the road is a deep and muddy swamp under the driest of conditions. This time I had to sort of feel my way across the deeply flooded road praying that I not drop off to the abyss on either side. I later waded and drove stakes in along the deepest sections to marked the hard bottomed section. But it was certainly an adventurous weekend.
Still to have my mother, sister, daughter and her husband and kids all nestled inside the cozy cabin while it rained outside for dinner on the evening of the 4th made for a memorable day. Even our fire pit had been swallowed by the lake keeping the smores on the shelf for the night.
I'm hearing about turkey broods in NH I just haven't seen any myself. I'm still spotting single hens which has me concerned about the fowl weathers affect on this year's turkey production. The Suncook River, as well as the Merrimack River is running high and brown but at least at this point don't seem to be even at low flood stage. Even the little brook down the road has been flowing at full force for several weeks now. Some years by this point it is practically dry. We certainly do need a long stretch of sunny days to get back the days lost to no sun. I noticed that the local farmers corn crop has big yellowed sections where the corn seems to be dying. He is in desperate need of sun and dry conditions to salvage his cow corn crop. Even the non wet areas seem to be stunted of growth.
