July 2006

Eye on Nature – July 2006

With blazing temperatures behind us (at least temporarily) you can almost feel the natural world breathing a collective sigh of relief as it welcomes the end of July. The delicious evening coolness has returned and with the breeze comes an invitation for mental stillness and reflection.

To many, July marks the mid-point of summer. Oregon’s landscape has turned into a mix of brown and green. Plants of all kinds are setting seed, having grown and flowered. For many of these annuals, their future awaits the rains of autumn. Tree branches bend under the weight of ripening fruit—whether globes of summer sweetness waiting for human hands to harvest, or the samaras of a maple, their small package ready to nourish the tiny embryos inside. In my neighborhood Song Sparrows still lay claim to their territories with twittering melodies while the English Sparrows chatter and buzz and raise yet another brood. But for others, the balance of summer activities has tipped. Crossed is the line between creation and preparation. For them, circadian rhythms push to prepare for times ahead. Fledglings and adults alike take advantage of the still long days to eat and eat again, laying on fat to fuel their bodies for distant migrations or for the wet, dark days of winter.

On these bright days of summer the dampness and darkness of winter are hard to imagine. Yet by conscious thought or instinctual drive, we know they are coming. All the more reason to appreciate the warmth of summer still here.

with an eye on nature,