It may be late July but it feels almost fall-like  as temperatures got down in the low 40s a couple mornings. This kept the bugs down until nearly noon one day and until 10 a.m. the next.

The black flies have had a new hatch and they have been pretty pesky to say the least. With all the rain the mosquitoes will be with us for most of the remaining summer.

The deerflies were out one day as I killed over 25 while walking just a couple miles. I never did eliminate them.

That was on a trip into Beaver Lake in the Plains where I cut out the trail while pulling my canoe to the lake. The loons heard me coming and were calling even before I saw the lake.

I canoed down to the nest site and picked up the egg chips. They have nested on the same little bog for over thirty years. The entire west end of the lake is covered with white water lilies.

When you go down the lake the entire shoreline is a ribbon of white. The moose would have salad here for the whole summer, but I never see any tracks around the pond.

I was on Squaw Lake early one morning when there was no wind. With all the big live and dead white pines around the shoreline the conditions made for some excellent refraction shots.

Pollywogs and newts were all over the surface of the lake making dipoles in the calm water as I paddled over to the loon nest site. The pair of loons there had two chicks but they were kept away from me.

The Osprey made a pass overhead to check me out before flying back to its nest. The June suckers were done running, but I did see bear tracks in the sand along the small stream that runs in by the trails end.

Karen and I made a trip around Big Moose Lake on Friday where there were lots of ski and tuber boats going around the lake.

Some were coming pretty close to us and one was operating without an observer in the boat. The driver was just using his rearview mirror to watch the skier behind.

It is the law to have an observer in the boat while pulling a skier. I was just saying to Karen that with all the boats out and about on the water there have been few accidents.

Then bingo, one happens that seriously injures the occupants of a boat.

Everyone can enjoy our waterways but some caution needs to be taken when so many boats are in one area at the same time. Fishermen would have to be out early in the morning or just before dark to avoid boats crossing their path. Drinking and driving in a boat can be just as dangerous as driving your car while drunk.

We saw a Bonaparte’s Gull sitting on a rock ledge out in the lake. It was a nice find in the north country.

We will be Loon banding in this area next week so you may see a light show out on some of the area waters at night. This is a nine to five job—p.m. to a.m., that is.

We hope to do some lakes that we haven’t done in several years and check the adults for levels of mercury in their system.

I have a butterfly walk on Friday (8/2) at 10 a.m. that is starting from View. With all the flowers on-site we may not have to travel far to see a few neat butterflies.

The monarchs, however, have been almost non-existent.

Something stopped them from coming across the country to visit us this summer.

The milkweeds are in the best shape I’ve seen them in years and there is nothing eating on them. Milkweeds are nearly impossible to transplant, so get some seeds when they ripen and plant them.

You will have plants next year and flowers the next. Put them in a waste area next to your lawn or on a bank that might be too steep to mow. These areas would be just right for milkweeds.

When you have milkweeds around you will have butterflies. Butterflies are attracted to color and maybe the odor of milkweeds will also help the butterflies find them. If you have your windows open when you’re driving down the highway you sure can smell them.

Many butterflies are called milkweed butterflies as that’s where you will find them.

Wanakena Ranger School after fifty years, but that’s another story. See ya.