New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Well summer arrived overnight last night. And in this case a pretty nice cool and dry summer it seems. Some different in the 90's of late with some sweltering humidity. But after this long drawn out cold and damp spring even a heat wave was welcomed.

And boy has it been welcomed by my garden. Cucumber plants that we planted a month ago hadn't grown a new leaf until we got this string of warm sunny days. It seems like my plants are finally jumping out of the ground. A welcomed sight after two months of tending the garden with little results. I even have picked a batch of radishes.

The farmer finally had enough sun and dry days to chop the haylage across from my house and even bail some hay not far away. And his fields of corn have sure shot up too, despite the fact that he planted them a full two weeks later than usual. I'm hoping he has successful crops this year after the terrible drought and resulting crops last year.

I sit on my decks in the morning and evenings to just absorb the sounds of the birds about. I got some new hearing aids that are working great and I can hear birds I have not heard in a decade or more. I have always been one to glean the sounds out of the air to take in all that nature has to offer.

Other than an occasional turkey and infrequent deer I'm not seeing much for wildlife. No doubt these hot days have them seeking cover until it cools down or for deer becoming active after dark. Sill for fox and coyote parents they pretty much need to hunt 24/7 to feed their growing young. I call June turtle and fox month. Oh yes I think I have moved three turtles out of the road the last week or so. And when I was still working at Fish and Game I would be fed calls about foxes seen during the day all month long. And I would tell them this is not abnormal behavior for foxes during June as they are weaning their kits and must find them food. So yes June is fox month.