The recent rains have wrought a lot of changes in the past week.
The cool, wet spring delayed the annual Arthropod Explosion but in the past two weeks all the bugs have appeared in large obnoxious swarms.
All the plants are suddenly growing like mad. Vine maples are furiously encroaching on the driveway despite last year’s massive vine maple control effort. Their encroachments are paralleled by the salmonberry, also leaning out over the driveway. I’ll have to get out there and get busy or they’ll choke off the driveway entirely.
The Black Headed Grosbeaks have arrived and are a loud chorus in the evening. I’ve heard one, lonely Swainson’s Thrush but so far, they haven’t appeared in great numbers.