Carlin Lake Association

Officially summer

 

The good news is that with the summer solstice this past weekend, the summer season is now official.

The related less-good news is that now the days will gradually get shorter, with length of daylight shrinking till six months from now, on December 21st.  

These wonderful long, light evenings always remind me of a child's verse by Robert Louis Stevenson:   

In winter I get up at night, and dress by yellow candle light.

In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day.

 

I'm enjoying wild flowers in our yard and along the roadside.   But, the smaller amount of daisies reminds me that every year is different, depending on rain and sunshine and seed distribution, I suppose.    

The photo with our yard full of daisies was taken a couple of years ago; the sparser selection below is how our front yard looks this year. 

 

Happy summer!!

 

This week

 

All of us who are sheltering quietly here in the woods know there is still plenty going on.

On Tuesday night, we were happy to receive 3" of rain, more or less.   Our rain gauge agreed with Danny's more official measure across the lake from us.   Some folks said more, some said less---but certainly that generous rain will allow us to think about safely having a camp fire.

 

These photos have been shared by lake neighbors on Facebook, and I am pasting here in case you have missed them.    

The doe and fawn are friendly regulars in the LaPean yard;

the bear surprised the Huemanns, just as they planned to get out and mow their grass;

the beautiful lupine is compliments of Julie Draves.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you aren't here at the lake now, I hope you will be back soon!

 

Another week

 

Summer's at its best!    "What is so rare as a day in June?"  poet James Russell Lowell asked.   "Then if ever come perfect days."

Here you see a visitor near the bird feeder of neighbors Dick and Karen Engelmann.   And, Bill and Julie Draves also report watching a huge black bear cross their road as they drove home.      And something/one knocked out our hummingbird feeder night before last, but we didn't see the culprit.

 

 

The Engelmanns also sent this photo of a brand new fawn.    Thanks very much!

You will have seen Barbie and Danny's pictures, too, of their annual visits from Mama does and new babies.

 

I don't have photos, but dragon flies are flying around the lake shore in the hundreds.    It seems there are more than I have seen before at any one time.   Welcome, Dragonflies!

Also we welcome butterflies.   I have seen several monarchs on my walks, but not enough to generalize how many are around.

Enjoy these perfect days!!    Plus----looks like the forecast is for some heavy rain Tuesday night into Thursday morning.   I hope so!