This particular evening the water was really warm and there were quite a few people still swimming as the sun went down.
After noticing these pictures I never posted, it got me thinking about the contrast of weather. Currently it is so very cold and snowy. I’m not yearning for summer, but it’s nice to know it will be here again.
“Bird Island”, one of the many little islets in the lake.
Looking down towards the other end of this long lake.
Curious little fish in the shallows. (Banded Sunfish?)
At one end of the lake is Nottingham Town Beach.
A well camouflaged Pickerel Frog on the banks.
A young Ganoderma tsugae, Reishi mushroom.
A shy cottonmouth, aka water moccasin.
Wild terrestrial orchid, “Pink lady’s-slipper”
A Snapping turtle waiting to cross the path.
A maturing Reishi mushroom.
Entrance to Demon Pond.
A beaver lodge.
This particular place had a nice feeling to it. The water level is above you as you walk past the beaver dam in the background, holding back Demon Pond.
Young Alder trees.
There were some of these beauties flying about, but I didn’t get my camera out until they left. Unusually more monarch butterflies this summer than the last three years. I saw them all over the place, which is great. This the first time though, that as caterpillars, they were in my garden feasting on the milkweed. I counted at least twelve of them.
They are in their pupae stage now, which I have not been able to spot, but I hope they come around again as third generation ones. The picture below was taken in the summer of 2012.
The image below was taken in the summer of 2013 of the bumble bee partaking in the hydrangea bush, their favorite this time of year.
It was only after I situated the aqua garden just so with irises, water lilies and stones that a frog came by. Introducing Maurice, 
the star of the garden this summer. He is a bronze frog, green face and bronze body. He’s very contemplative, doesn’t move for hours and even though it’s getting colder at night he is still there, sitting in his little pool.
There was a mini Maurice as well, in the smaller pond,
who disappeared a few weeks ago after being visited by big Maurice. Hmmmm…..
The Pickerel Frog who has a nice flashy coat
is in front of the house. She seems to love this blue pot filled with water and Elephant Ears. It’s situated right under the porch light where moths gather. I’m guessing this frog is a “she” because smaller versions of herself were nearby for a while, until they ventured off to who knows where.
Stayed tuned for Part 2, In a small corner of the world, there is a garden, Summer 2016.
That’s right, more frogs, flowers and bees.
channeling the abstract 