July here in Vacationland is a fulsome month. We had some magnificent “real Maine summer” days: sunny, blue skies, tingling combinations of warmth and cooling sea breezes, and happy tourists. But we also had a few days that were not up to Maine July standards: incessant heavy fog, torrential rain, and cold and damp tourists. There’s much to cover.

First, let’s have the usual pictorial overview of some of the areas that we monitor monthly along the coast and in the woods, fields, streams, ponds, and other byways:

July wildlife seemed happy no matter what the weather. Among the highlights were white-tailed deer fawns trying out their new legs.

On the feather front, osprey fledglings also were trying out their new wings in the sun, great blue herons were using their wings like balancing umbrellas in the rain, and terns had no problem fishing in the fog.

Monarch butterflies — a vulnerable species — looked healthy on their favorite plant, common milkweed, so did their caterpillars, which soon will have wings:

Meanwhile, dragonflies also were on the wing, while painted turtles just soaked up the sun whenever they could.

On the flora front, there were just too many highlights. We’ll have to settle for a medium-light view of the best of the best. To begin, July is the month of the lily — wild and cultivated; day, tiger, and water:

July’s wildflowers included purple beach rose (rose rugosa), meadowsweet (steeplebush), and bull thistle (with skipper butterflies at times). There were plenty of yellows, including black-eyed Susan, butter and eggs, tansy, and goldenrod. There also was red bunchberry and white Queen Anne’s lace and bull’s eye daisies:

In the garden, the poppies were especially attractive to hoverflies:

In the coastal waters this July, six different windjammers overnighted in Great Cove here to let their passengers come ashore — in rain, fog, and sun — and explore the famous WoodenBoat School campus. They were the American Eagle, Lewis R. French, Heritage, Mary Day, J&E Riggin, and Stephen Taber:

On the working waterfront, the lobster season begins in earnest in July. These fishing vessels come in all sizes and colors, but they all have character:

On the educational waterfront, the WoodenBoat School was busy in July teaching a variety of marine-oriented courses, including sailing courses in their fleet of small sailboats.

Of course, Independence Day is celebrated the old-fashioned way here on July 4. It starts with music by the Brooklin Band. Then there’s the parade of local fire trucks, home-made floats, and classic vehicles. After that, everyone gathers at the Town Green for children’s games, plenty of good food, and conversations with the neighbors. Here’s a small sampling: