Cornnapper.

8-26-14 VERMONT: It’s sunny and in the mid-eighties—summer has arrived in Vermont. And just in time, because lots of trees are beginning to show fall color change. Ash trees are dropping purple leaves. I have remarked that most of the perennials seemed to be early this season, as if they knew there would be an early winter. The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a harsh winter, but their predictions are actually no better than chance.

In the pasture the mint is in full flower, and usually in August it is covered with butterflies, but not this year. There are a few butterflies but there are no Monarchs. Also, there is a lot of milkweed in the pasture, the Monarch caterpillar’s favorite snack, but none of it has been eaten.

There was another 1.25 inches of rain in the gauge when we got back from NJ. The summer continues to be wet.

We have a corn poacher. Something has knocked over corn stalks, pulled off the ears, shucked them and eaten the kernels. I assume it is a raccoon, who also picked the last of the blueberries. I harvested all the remaining ears of corn that were ripe and left only immature ears on the stalks. Tomatoes, fortunately, do not seem to be on the raccoon’s meal plan.

New blooms: more phlox, more asters.


Fall flower - some kind of aster.

Grossbeak and song sparrow. The sparrow has been eating red berries from a nearby honeysuckle bush.

Black-eyed Susan.