The long evenings are perfect for walks. Cool breezes keep the bugs at bay, and the temps are favorable to wandering. If you have been out at all, you know the Showy Lady-slippers are blooming. There are several clusters just off the road south of the woodshed. Perfect for anyone to view.
If you are up for a bit more adventure, there is one to be had at the South end of the Village. Wander down past the barns and gardens, river on one side, field on the other. The Sedge Wrens and Common Yellowthroats are continuously calling from the willow thickets. Osprey circle overhead. Follow the tractor path and just before you reach the pines, duck under the fence into the pasture that curls along between the river and the pines. A tractor has left paths through the tall grasses for your walking pleasure. I would recommend staying on the left hand tracks, until you reach the trees. From that point on keep to the right hand side track, it will lead you on to a bit of paradise. The Southern Blueflag Iris are forcing their way up through the tall grasses and are blooming in force. Continue further to the far fence corner, and you will see even more. According to the books, they should be Northern Blueflag Iris in Todd County. But they are not. So, when you live on the edge of biomes, things live there that aren't recorded as being there, and things that should be there, aren't. All the more reason to get out there and record and document the bidiversity of your own back yard!
Everything I document, that I find on the Village land, adds to the base of knowledge for everyone. It tells a tale of changing weather patterns, shifting temperatures, and nature doing what it can to continue, one species at a time.
