June is when bright summer wild flowers mysteriously flood many fields and the lush field grasses reach deer bellies.
New tree leaves fill most of the woods’ canopy in June, creating pools of light and dark. Record-setting rain and fog during the month seem to have made this year’s greens greener, the streams deeper, and tourists wetter.
The June ponds are high, much to the satisfaction of Arrow Arum, but perhaps a little too high to please the Painted Turtles that have trouble finding basking space. The Water Lily pads come out during the month, but most of their flowers wait until July to appear. In the darker bogs, Jack-in-the-Pulpits and Lady’s Slippers enjoy their chosen solitude.
June is when the WoodenBoat School returns most of its fleet of small boats to Great Cove, where they are floating classrooms for lucky sailors.
Of course, June is when much bigger sailing vessels also appear in Great Cove. Among them are Angelique, with her red (“tanbark”) sails; the gray-hulled Lewis R. French, and the broad-beamed Stephen Taber.
Most of the lobster fishing here starts in June, when traps are loaded in fog and sun during high and low tides.
In the air, a pair of Ospreys nested in a Balsam Fir overlooking Great Cove this year. They raised one fledgling to full size by late June. Even though their nest is huge, it’s not big enough for Mom, Pop, and the youngster at the same time. Usually, the youngster gets to keep the place to himself during his summer vacation, but sometimes there’s a reunion that just doesn’t work.
A wide range of pollinating insects are frequent June flyers, including Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies and Bumblebees.
Among the wild native flowers that are the beneficiaries of these pollinators are Wild (Blue Flag) Iris and Yellow and Orange Hawkweed.
Cultivated blossoms appearing this June included Japanese Crab Apple; Early yellow Day Lilies; Poppies; Peonies; Azaleas; Beach Roses; evergreen Rhododendrons; Quince, and Lilacs.
Finally, June also is the month that we start preparing for Independence Day. The Fourth of July is a big deal here, complete with our own parade, own band, and own celebration on the Town Green, not to mention Old Glory flying in the most unexpected places.
(All images above were taken in Brooklin, Maine, during June 2019.)