May 14, 2007

Today the winds turned. By 4 pm it was 70°. Nice and warm, sunny too, but the day will be recorded as mostly cloudy. On the lilacs Red Admiral, and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. The shady areas in the yard are full of flowers. Blue, white, purple, yellow, delicate shades, not bright. Very beautiful. In the woods the leaves and canopy are almost full. The light has a green cast and seeing though trees is now difficult. Wood Thrushes scatter as I climb the slope on the other side of the creek. It is quite and beautiful on the summit. The air is fresh with oxygen from the leaves. Near the lookout I hear the Barred Owls. 3 individuals calling back and forth from the southwest side of the old quarry. Spicebush swallowtails flit through the under story. Scarlet-Tanager calls chick-terrr, chick-terrr from the center of the summit. Visibility from the lookout is a little more than 20 miles

I don’t linger at the lookout. The woods is quite until I near home where the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are singing like mad. Like a round of Row, Row, Row, Your Boat, one starts and two or three others pick up with the same song at regular intervals. The effect is wonderful.

I am a little overwhelmed by the beauty of this place and my fortune at being able to enjoy it