A Desert in the Pines

The Prickly Pears are in Bloom

This winter, I shared my photos of Prickly Pear cactuses growing through asphalt, covered in snow.

Tales in the Snow

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, and the Prickly Pears took notice. They’ve soaked up the welcome heavy rain that doused the Pine Barrens wildfires, and have come into bloom.

A green Sweat Bee was enjoying a feast of pollen. Later in the year, they will bear fruit. I’ve tried some before, they weren’t particularly sweet, but I’ll see how they fare this year. My serviceberries improved in flavor over a few days, and I managed to nibble a few before the birds took their share.

The forest is lush and the Eastern Box Turtles are doing their best to impersonate speed bumps on the trails. I’ve moved three or four of them this season. I’m back on the trails after my accident, taking it easy and enjoying the humid mornings. I saw an Eastern Towhee up close on a recent ride, a rusty-bellied bird like a smaller, squatter Orchard Oriole. I’ve heard plenty of their calls, but this is the first time I’ve had a good look.

This abandoned Chevrolet is hidden deep in the woods and would make a good base camp for anyone who needs to go off-grid. I got first dibs.

I’m working on a piece about my visit to Sandaig, also known as Camusfearna, where naturalist Gavin Maxwell lived when he wrote his books about raising wild otters on the coast of the Scottish Highlands. I visited his memorial stone there, and a few weeks ago, I also visited the grave of another favorite naturalist writer, Loren Eiseley. Then I’ll begin sharing our days in Skye, and get to the excursion where we saw many Atlantic Puffins. I hope to have the Gavin Maxwell post published for this coming Sunday.