Another beautiful summer day.  I was thinking this morning that the black flies haven't bothered me much at all this year.  Then when I walked at noon, I was pestered by square-tailed flies.  I they are more commonly known ad deer flies - but they are the ones that dive at your head and do bite if they can.  When I was outside this afternoon, I was surprised by black flies - in spite of the very brisk wind - so it was not my day to be outside.  I got a few minor nips by the black flies, but nothing serious, and I managed to get a few tasks done outside.

The apple blossoms are going by quickly.  Fred took this yesterday, I think, and today  there is a blanket of pink and white petals on the ground under our old apple tree, and the ornamentals are about at peak.  The crab dropped its petals sometime during the weekend.  I noticed today there are a few blossoms on one of the small ornamental apple trees I mentioned earlier that I might need to replace with something the would bloom.  My message apparently got through, at least to one of the three.  Hopefully the others will take the hint and maybe bloom next year.  This afternoon I cut some apple blossoms and lilacs for a big fragrant bouquet to enjoy in the living room, and a small bunch of lilies-of-the-valley for our table.  Now everything indoors and out smells lovely.  The peonies will be next, and the irises - I should have good pickin's for bouquets all summer long.

I received two beautiful photos of the middle pond today from Michelle Parker.   The top one is looking east towards the narrows leading into the first pond and West Danville.  The second one is a continuation of that shore looking towards Route 2 and Injun Joe's.  Michelle didn't say when she took them, but I expect it was this evening, as the sun was going down.  Those clouds were ominous, but the predicted thunder storms may have gone around us.  I was talking on the phone to son, Bill, in Waterford around 7 o'clock and he was seeing lightning.  I don't like thunder storms, but I enjoy the weather before and usually after them.  It was slightly wild today with lots of wind, but that saved us from the humidity that was predicted to be high.  It didn't seem to bad here, and with lots of air movement, we stayed fairly comfortable.  Tonight it's cooled down nicely, and tomorrow should be nice except for afternoon showers.  Good weather for growing things.

Have you been watching the ospreys over in Maine?  I check them several times a day - the poor female is suffering with the heat up on that fully exposed next, but all she has to do is scream a couple of times and the male shows up to relieve her for a little while.  He brings food regularly, too.  It must be close to time for the eggs to begin hatching.  I've been amazed that there is so much activity going on around where the nest is.  I've heard a bell clanging, today someone was sawing lumber; there's lots of talking and laughter, boats coming and going, pounding, motors running, but nothing seems to bother the birds.  I guess they are used to the racket and intent on the job at hand.