Well, the Dog Days of Summer are upon us. And unlike in the recent past, this summer we have seen a strange chemical substance (dihydrogen monoxide) falling from the sky. For those who were asleep in Chemistry class: that would be RAIN. The political forces took note of the amount of rain and heralded the fact that the region’s drought was “over” and that the spigots could be turned on once again. With this announcement, “the hissing of summer lawns” (as described by Joni Mitchell) has picked up in tempo and we are back to watering madness. I think the political folks and the bankers must have gone to the same school since they never seem to learn from their mistakes and their favorite word seems to be "HOPE!"It can be written in stone that the drought days will return and so will another financial crisis caused by those "in charge." It is just a matter of time. 

I am probably in the minority in my appreciation of summer thunderstorms. The sights, sounds and smell of a storm, in most cases, are a welcome occurrence in my view. The highlights include the tall stately thunderheads, especially in a late afternoon sky -- an awesome spectacle of color and form. The slow rumble of thunder and the nighttime fireworks are special as well. One of the first meteorological questions I posed to my father as a child involved my curiosity about the distant lightning shows at night, absent an accompanying thunderclap. I was informed that what I was witnessing was “heat lightning.” I don't know how this term was coined, but it suggests that heat lightning is in some manner different from the more common “window rattlers” that cause your dog to seek shelter in your lap. Now I know that lightning is lightning, but distance is the key. I will say that I have observed that the nighttime shows of “heat lightning” are not as frequent as I remember as a child. I wish they were.

Until next time.

Jim

One of the true joys of summer for me is the fresh tomato. While I certainly welcome all the other fresh vegetables and fruits that summer provides, for me the tomato is King. I can even prove my point with this demonstration: First you must take a fresh, fully ripened tomato off the vine. Slice it and place it between two pieces of white bread with mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Take your masterpiece and savor it slowly, with a glass of fresh brewed iced tea (no Green Tea allowed!), to make this a true experience. An important rule: never refrigerate your tomato prior to consumption, lest you lose the true flavor. Right now I'm counting the days until I get to enjoy my own summer’s tomato bounty!

The others joys of summer for me include a plethora of physical activities like gardening, hiking, water sports, kayaking and biking -- activities that help to provide mental and physical relief from the stresses of everyday life. But I also very much enjoy the sights and sounds that accompany the summer landscape. This list is long, but some of my favorites include: the hum and chatter of a hummingbird as it diligently attempts to ward off other hummingbirds from its feeder; the rolling slow and deep rumble of air crashing against air during a summer thunderstorm; the lightning bugs, whose gift to the visual senses are the small floating specks of light that dance in the night; and finally, the undulating drone of the cicadas and the katydids that envelopes the late evening and nighttime world.

Enjoy the season and until next time,

Jim

Well, spring is in its final hours, as the first day of summer officially arrives at 5:46 Universal Time on June 21, marking the Summer Solstice. Spring of 2009 for those of us in the Southeast has been a gift from heaven. It has brought ample rainfall, which has served to end the region's three-year drought and restored the our lake levels to near normal (I wonder where the “experts” are now who promised it would take three years for the lake levels to be restored). This Spring has also treated us to many cool days . . . sort of like the Energizer Bunny, in that they kept “coming and coming and coming.” But alas, those cool days will soon be but a distant memory as the summer sun makes its mark on the thermometer.

With summer season upon us, the good ship Aquascape Environmental has been sailing “full steam ahead,” addressing the various lake and pond issues that seem to pop up overnight. In meeting with lake and pond owners to review their issues, one of the comments that I commonly hear is, “I've had this lake for many years and I have NEVER had this problem before.” In response to such remarks, I take a moment to slowly remove by bifocals, and explain that I used to have 20/20 vision and now I don’t. I get a few puzzled look until I explain an important limnological fact: Things change, including lakes and pond. Some understand and some do not; either way, I press on toward addressing the issues at hand.

Until next time,

Jim

To borrow the title from a play and film of the '60s, but not on the same subject, I have come to the realization that I am a “Man for All Seasons.” I will attempt to explain.

The sights and sounds of Spring are upon us, as well as the warmer and longer days. To most folks the onset of Spring brings both a physical and emotional “rebirth” from the long days of Winter as we venture out from our caves (homes) and back into the wilds to explore the wonders of nature. The physical rebirth is the process that often involves rediscovering muscle groups that have not been utilized for some time and the emotional rebirth is the process of “pulling” yourself away from the couch or TV. I for one am especially looking forward to water related activities such as canoeing, kayaking and other aquatic sports -- sports which I have little enthusiasm for when the thermometer is below 60! Yes, I know this should not be a factor in my enjoyment of these activities, but it is.

So, we move on to my dilemma:

While I look forward to the warmer days of Spring and the even warmer days of Summer to follow – I also have remorse about the passing of Winter. Why, you ask? For starters, to me Winter is a time of “regrouping” from the hectic days of Spring, Summer and Fall -- when “taking care of business” means watching over hundreds of acres of lakes and ponds so our customers can enjoy them. While the daily journey during this time period is challenging and rewarding, it can also tax your mental and physical resources. The result is probably very similar to what a river guide feels like after completing a seven-day trip down the Colorado River via the Grand Canyon: Joy in the accomplishment, but relief that it's over.

The other faces of winter that I will miss are probably too numerous to elucidate but I will offer a sampling of my favorites. On the subtle side of things are the form, textures and colors provided by the trees during a Winter’s hike. The shades of browns, blacks and grays of the stately trees provide a contrasting starkness to the forest’s bare winter landscape that accentuates the visual senses. Once the leaves appear on the trees this feature gets lost in the dominance of the green forest. I shall take the liberty of re-wording a cliché and note that when Spring arrives “You can’t see the forest for the leaves.”

I also must add the Sycamore(Platanus occidentalis) to this category; it seems to show off its glorious wintery white coat of bark the best in the final minutes of sunlight during a cold Winter’s day. Once that is visually experienced, it is not soon forgotten.

Some of my other favorite Winter moments include the usual things like:

• sitting next to a warm fire in the evening after long hours of venturing out in the frigid air,
• the vibrant colors of a winter sunset,
• the aroma of fresh split oak firewood,
• the distinctive smoky flavor that envelopes the olfactory nerves as a result of a campfire just prior to the onset of rain,
• the “calm” of a deserted lake while the wind is howling at your face. 

As Winter comes to a close, I will keep these visions in my head and will eagerly await their return. In the meantime I am dreaming of new “wet” adventures and of the sore muscles that will surely follow.

Until next time,

Jim