Views From the Pond: July/August 2024

I am on track to finally get my View From the Pond post up with only two months of pictures (instead of three months). Yay! As summer is wrapping up and we get ready for fall it is nice to look back on the hottest months of the year and all that was going on at the pond. With summer break, I enjoyed not having to leave my house every morning to go to school. Instead I was able to have my morning coffee on the porch (most mornings), and it was a delight. 

We had a hot summer here, but we also had a lot of rain. In August we had a "once in a thousand year" rain storm where it rained over 6 inches in a few hours, and although we were lucky not to have flooding at our house, the pond and brook were FULL! Towns a half an hour away had closer to 13 inches of rain and there was severe flood damage to buildings, homes, roads, and bridges. Cars were trapped in flooding and people needed to be rescued, and houses were washed away. Scary and sad for everyone impacted by the flood damage, and it made the rain we got here seem like nothing.  

I hope you can sit back and relax and enjoy some of the views that brought me peace and happiness this summer. I caught some of the visiting animals- but we did have a black bear that I saw, but barely captured as he left the yard.

July 2024

A little bunny hanging out and enjoying some snacks. 

This guy walked out of the brook and towards the house, 

but he hasn't been out again since (at least not during the day, 

which I know is normal for them when looking for food.)

Love seeing the changing light!

Our heron made lots of visits to our house this summer. 

Loved watching it take flight, but I didn't manage to snap

any photos or videos of the amazing sight. 

Seeing reflections in the water brings me a lot of joy. 

Friends were visiting from Canada, but they 

got to see the heron when they were packing 

up the car. It was exciting for everyone- but the

heron got spooked and flew away. It's large wings 

need lots of space and it flew down the middle of the 

road as it lifted up and up!

Afternoon sunlight on the tree. 

August 2024

If you look closely you can see the magnolia has blooms. 

It likes to bloom on and off from spring until mid fall. Beautiful flowers!

The peeks of blue make me smile. 

A bud from the magnolia getting ready to bloom in all its glory. 

So green!

The August rain storm- the brook was starting to get full!

I have never seen the pond this high since we have lived here (2 years).

Amazing for sure!

The crazy thing is that 2 hours before this video the brook was barely there. 

I had friends over that I had to explain- over there is the brook. Then two hours later

the water was raging! 

Hello Sunbeam!

I am still enamored with the changing light each day!

Hello again, Heron!

The trees in the backyard were sparkling with drops of rain

after a rainstorm. No rainbow- but the drops looked like 

dazzling gems. 

We saw the bear walk by the window and watched it. Barely got a picture. 

We haven't seen him since.

As I type this (September 1st) I know that summer doesn't officially end for a few more weeks, though after working at a school for the last 26 years it always feels like the end of summer when school starts. Already the temperatures are starting to change as we head into September and the light is changing too. I do love fall and I know the pond will put on a show! 

Hope summer was good to you and that fall will be even better!

~S