by Gary Lee
Local towns got through the cloudy day on the 4th of July okay. Inlet had their annual Ping Pong Drop and Old Forge’s VIEW just got done with its Craft Fair when the balloon burst from the sky.
I could see and hear the storm coming in from the west as I was heading back to Inlet from Old Forge a little after 6 p.m.
Mother Nature had her own fireworks and with it came torrents of rain.
I measured another inch in the gauge in the morning so I’m sure there were some wet campers as the woods were full of them.
I saw No Vacancy signs everywhere and the streets were full of tourists. We had two rain-free days and the weatherman only predicted the possibility of showers.
So far this year the showers should be called probable instead of possible.
We’ve had close to twenty inches of rain since the first of June and the lakes are full. Water is still going over the overflow at Stillwater Reservoir.
The western states are having record high temperatures in the triple digits and no rain.
Water rationing is going on in many places and forest fires are popping up in many areas.
If they do get a thunder and lightning storm they might get some rain but surely they will get some fires from them.
Most of my wildflowers have been enjoying all this rain. Some of my foxgloves are over four feet tall and still standing straight up.
A few other flowers have taken that “lay down” approach but are still blooming.
This much water is hard on some septic systems and the sewer pumper trucks have been busy every day trying to keep up.
The campfire wood business has also been brisk. When Karen and I came home from Stillwater on Friday evening we noticed that most of the wood bins along the local highways were empty.
We stopped in at the Stillwater Hotel to see Marion and Joe and had a great dinner with a super strawberry shortcake for dessert.
If you’re up that way stop in as you can get a great meal whether it’s breakfast, lunch or supper. The road is also in pretty good shape despite all the rain.
I was checking the nesting loons on Beaver Lake up by Number Four and the loon was still sitting high and dry on a bog. She has another couple weeks before her eggs hatch.
I have seen a nest hatch as late as August 12th and the chicks made it out before the lake froze up.
The Annual Loon Census is coming up on Saturday, July 18 from 8 to 9 a.m.
Check out the website www.wcsadirondacks.org and get out on a lake that morning to join in the fun and see some beautiful birds.
To register which lake you wish to watch contact the Wildlife Conservation Society in Saranac Lake at adkloon@wcs.org or call them at (518) 891-8872.
I was down near the outskirts of Rome near the Sand Plains doing some birding on Friday morning (7/3) and got some great birds.
I just got out of the truck at the corner of Oswego Road and Route 46 to start my survey and was greeted by a pair of black billed cuckoos feeding not twenty feet away.
I heard them calling their crazy call a few times and even found another pair further down the highway.
There was a scarlet tanager calling about a mile down that road. One side road I did ended at the old Erie Canal Bike and Running Trail.
There were some neat frogs calling there and I saw a little green heron fly off as it must have been sneaking up on some of these frogs.
At six in the morning the area was quiet except for bird calls but by the time I was done at 9 a.m. the roads were buzzing with traffic.
That road must go to the landfill as several garbage trucks and lots of residents were headed up the road with loads of trash and scraps.
If you’re in Old Forge you should stop in and see the new show, For the Birds, at VIEW that includes about 100 pieces of bird-themed art.
Along with this show are separate shows by the two judges, one of beautiful wildlife paintings by David Kiehm and the other of fantastic bird photos by Melissa Groo.
Both are national award winners in their field of art. Upstairs are two great photo shows by local artists Edward Williams and Sue Kiesel.
There are many workshops to go along with this show so check these out on line or stop in at View and I’m sure you will find something you might like to do.
Loon chicks are hatching so give them a break and some space… but that’s another story. See ya.