Hi River Roaders,

The Dog Days of August are the hottest, most humid days of summer, when Sirius, the Dog Star, is bright in the night sky. It’s a great time to sit in the shade and experience summer with all your senses.

My favorite place to sit is the large stone behind the Memorial Garden.

Another favorite is the Worship Circle, perfectly configured for social distancing!

Our late summer flowers are starting to bloom. I believe this is Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea).

Cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) are very, very happy near the second bridge in the back.

A possible Double-banded Scoliid Wasp (Scolia bicincta) on a yellow composite by the handicapped parking area. We’ll see more and more pollinators as the late summer and fall flowers come into bloom. Thanks to my friend Theresa for helping with ID.

Jewel weed (Impatiens capensis) is starting to bloom on the plants that haven’t yet been browsed by deer. Our native impatiens is a favorite of many pollinators and grows prolifically in the wet areas by the springs.

A Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) on the large Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) by the second bridge. The many spicebush (Lindera benzoin) on our grounds may have been the host plant to the larvae.

Click on the arrow to see a video shot from our first bridge. It’s the time of year to get sync with the rhythm of the cicadas.

Joe