New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

According to the National Weather Service July 20th is usually the hottest day of the summer with an average of 78 degrees for the day. It sure looks like the forecast will easily beat that this year. We are looking at mid 90's for Friday through the weekend. Oh yes we will be cooking this weekend. 

 

KInd of a pretty nice quiet and peaceful day today. The wren has not been singing the last couple of days. The robin has not been as vocal either. I toss some bread and whole corn out for the blue jays who still come calling. I've got one crying out there right now. So kind of nice to have a few birds about by sound and not just sight. Although the turkeys have decided to not swing by here lately. 

 

I'm not seeing much for other wildlife lately. Few deer or even many road kills save for a couple of opossums here in town. I guess things are laying low in the summer heat. Although today just seems so perfect, low 80's with a cool dry breeze from the northwest. Really nice day.

 

My garden is doing OK. Well for what has come up any ways. I did get to dig a whole batch of new potatoes for a family cook out Saturday evening. I have three 40 foot rows to plunder. I've had to knock the potato bugs back a couple of times though. My tomato plants seem to be doing well. Not exactly thriving with huge bushes but they look healthy so far and I have lots of green tomatoes on them. My beans and corn were a bust. The dozen corn plants that actually came up in early May are only about two feet high and are starting to tassel up. Kind of stunted. I doubt I'll have much of my own corn this year. I am picking two or three cucumbers every two or three days from my early planting. Luckily the late planting cukes are coming up great. So maybe enough to can by late August. 

 

Hurricane Barry or the remnants any ways should pas through here Wednesday to give us a nice soaking. Our local small brooks still have a good flow. So a good summer for our Native Brook trout.