On the way to the computer center I saw the first goldenrod blooms of the summer. Is that why my nose has been clogging, off and on, all day? It is not. Goldenrod, by itself, doesn't clog my nose. Wet weather that fills the air with mold spores does.
Nice chilly nights, relative to what's usual for the time of year. Flowers seem a bit confused. That white Rose of Sharon hibiscus in my front yard is still blooming furiously. Vetch is still profuse. Morning glories, Queen Anne's Lace, and chicory are supposed to be profuse at this time of year.
Other wildlife? Still very few moths and butterflies, although I've seen enough to know that the common local species haven't been completely wiped out. I think I've seen more centipedes this year than I've seen in the rest of my life. Small mixed flocks of warblers are starting to form.
Fire blight, a fungus infection caused by too many wet summers in a row, is defoliating one whole ridge on the south side of Clinch Mountain. The trees on this side of the mountain are still young and beleaguered; where leaves have come off, the ground on which the trees are growing looks like bare white stone. I have no idea why this ridge is looking bare while plants and trees elsewhere are surviving...but I'm seeing lots of infected trees throughout the area.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
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