July in Vermont

Below are excerpts from Ellen’s journal. She has kept her Walden Hill Journal going since we moved from Illinois. We hope you enjoy reading them for a vicarious experience of Vermont.

July 2, 2005 Finally had a clear, mild summer day, perfect weather for Burklyn Arts Fair on the beautiful Lyndonville Green. Kids were proudly displaying their freshly painted faces while Mark Breen entertained from the gazebo. It was a safe day for the weatherman to put on his singer/guitarist hat and strum up a song or two. I know the meteorologists only report the weather but when the weather is awful you’ve got to blame someone and of course when the weather is beautiful, like today, the weathermen are the first to take credit for providing a “great day”. The holiday weekend started off yesterday with evening fireworks somewhere in the vicinity of Sugar Ridge. We had a good view from the bedroom window. Tonight we can hear explosions from Joe’s Pond and see fireworks from Peacham area, probably Harvey’s Lake.

July 6, 2005 We heard and saw distant fireworks displays the entire holiday weekend from its start on the 1st until ending on the 4th. But the best display held off until last night when mother nature let go her own light show. Rumbling thunder and flickering outdoor lights steadily increased until bright, blinding flashes of lightning and crashing, echoing thunder brought on the rain. A steady and much calmer firefly display went on undisturbed until heavier rain put a momentary lull in their luminous signaling. Once the rain became less forceful, the firefly ballet resumed.

July 11, 2005 Tomato plants have green tomatoes in a variety of shapes and sizes and the husk cherries have produced a few little lanterns as their squash-like vines continue to spread. Snowpeas are in bloom and potatoes are beginning to set blossoms. That’s the sign for me to stop hilling the potatoes. Jeff is keeping the beetle infestation from getting a hold by picking off the occasional striped bug and mass of orange eggs. The firefly frenzy has waned, leaving only the occasional flicker of a lone firefly still seeking a mate. Evidently the female of the same species responds to the male’s flickering code to signal she’s ready to mate and lay eggs. But I’ve learned that females of another species will mimic the necessary code to lure the male over and consequently eat him. Also of note from the “World Book Encyclopedia” is that the fireflies lay their eggs in moist places on the ground. The eggs hatch into flightless larvae that are often seen glowing on damp lawns. Now I know what those glow worms are all about.

July 14, 2005 Early evening thunder showers with directional light from the setting sun brought on a lush double rainbow. The main colorful one spilled its intense, full-spectrum arch over onto the tops of the trees and filled the valley with color. The sweet smell of honeysuckle and milkweed hangs heavy in the moist and slightly cooler air. We’ve been enjoying the first of early blueberries with our morning cereal and the end of VT strawberries in our yogurt drink. Raspberries are on the bushes but not ripe yet. We’re eating the last of the asparagus, the very beginning of snowpeas and the very tender thinnings from our chard. 8 of the kohlrabi have been harvested into pasta sauce which is packed away in the freezer. There are plenty more out there for future meals. The garden is just starting to dictate what our suppers will be.

July 18, 2005 Hot, hazy, humid weather continues with the addition of rain this morning. Kingbirds are up on the wire taking their morning shower. Jay, our house painter is here doing the same. He is supposed to start painting the exterior of the house today and I thought that would have to wait for now, but I’m sure he’s used to dealing with the ups and downs of summer weather. It’s mostly preparation first anyway and just a bit of rain. Last night we were awakened by a very melodious coyote chorus. Judging from the volume and presence of sound, the pack was very close by. My sister Judy claims that coyotes howl when they’ve made a kill. That sounds like a bit of an old wive’s tale but if that’s the case, then one of the pack must have provided quite a feast. Frogs too have been interrupting the night with a low mumble that sounds very much like people talking in the distance. I was wondering who could be so rude so late at night but then realized it was just frogs conversing in a subdued but persistent tone.

July 20, 2005 A squat, smiling, pumpkin full moon is rising perfectly aligned between the two large maple trees. Deliciously cold evening air brings relief to a less humid but still very hot day. Our house painter Jay, “made hay” while the weather cooperated and worked here from 7 in the morning until 6 at night. And before starting to paint the house, he spent the early hours of the morninng kayaking on Ewell Pond. These Vermonters sure know how to fill up their days. I’m laying low, nursing a summer cold. I did however find time to pick some blueberries and even found a nice patch of ripe raspberries nearby. Yesterday we picked 5 more kohlrabi and put up some kohlrabi beef stew in the freezer. We’ve had lots of peelings to add to the compost which is doing great thanks to all this heat and the help of a few snakes that have taken up residence in the compost bin. They sure do a great job keeping the pile turned and aerated.

July 23, 2005 Did our first harvest of basil today and put up 17 double servings of pesto. We enjoyed some over spaghetti tonight and put the rest in the freezer. Frozen pesto is delicious all winter long but that freshly made fare is truly a taste of summer. We ended the meal with King Arthur scones topped with fresh picked raspberries, sweetened with a scoop of Ben and Jerry’s vanilla ice cream. Tea was served out on the swing and leisurely sipped while the sun gently spread its evening magic across the sky. I can now venture outside without my bug shirt. A few hearty black flies remain but not enough to warrant full armor protection. I’m happy to have the aid of my bug baffler to get through black fly season but am glad when I can finally put it away and face mother nature directly, without my wearable screen.

July 24, 2005 50° and bright sunshine this beautiful morning. The humidity is refreshingly low, offering a clear and sharp view of the mountains. None of the usual morning fog and haze of midsummer. The trees are lush with infinite variety of greens. Black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s lace, Joe Pye-weed and super fragrant milkweed adorn the high field grass. Clumps of marsh mallow add to the bouquet. We’re continuing to weed out and move plants that are too close to the siding. Yesterday we relocated some of the smaller irises to a new bed to make room to nestle an azalea plant in between the protection of two decorative cedar bushes out in front of the house. The azalea will hopefully be encouraged by more sun there too.

July 29, 2005 First earwigs are starting to appear in our garden harvest. I remind myself that they feast on aphids and deserve to be returned to the our-of-doors. First of the beans have been picked along with one very tender 8-ball zucchini. Both went into another preparation of kohlrabi beef stew. There is certainly no shortage of wild raspberries or blueberries this summer. You can smell the ripe raspberries before you see them. The bears must be in “beary” berry heaven. Our house painting is complete and looks fantastic. The new gray stain with a hint of green fits into the natural landscape very well and compliments the red roof, door and bulkhead which add a splash of color to it all. Our new stain is called “London Fog” which is very appropriate considering our New England misty morning view. We’ve been noticing how unusually quiet the past few nights have been. It’s been cooler, just barely reaching 50° which might account for the stillness. Peepers are done for the season and locusts have yet to appear. Even the barking and whining dogs were still for a change..