New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Silent sultry summer

Friday 07/11/2008

How things have grown still over the last week or two. Save for the occasional crow call, bird life seems to be non existent around here.

I did get up to my camp in Maine for a number of days over the 4th. A long standing tradition by me and other family members. At least there the loons sporadically called day and night. The bald eagle pair and offspring were often seen as well. We even had a big adult swing past our view from the camp with a large fish hanging from its talons. And the ospreys were usually about diving for their dinner off in the distance. Fishing was slow for me this time although clusters of family members kept my fishing down a bit. What a glorious place to spend the holiday. No fireworks for me as a peaceful evening watching the sun set across the lake and the stars fill the sky was all I needed to appreciate all that we have.

Back here at home we have had some real hot and dry conditions. My mother has had to keep the soaker hose going in our cooperative garden. I did get to pick some peas yesterday, but it just seems like the garden has been slowed by the dry conditions since the first of May. Even the number of thunder storms that have been around this week have actually passed us by with hardly any rain at all. But just a few miles away they have had downpours.

The rivers and stream are just barely flowing this week.No doubt a very stressful time for the local native trout. Although there has been enough rain to keep the fields well green and the local farmers corn seems to be leaping out of the ground. I did get a late evening short walk into the Park in with my friend Rick. Most notable that evening was the dirt road we walk on and the woods to either side were lighted with numbers of fireflies. Oh yes summer is at hand. How sweet it is to enjoy these summer evenings even if it is just laying in my hammock as I watch the sun set over the Suncook River. Life is good.