What is Important? June 15th, 22nd and 23rd.

The times, they are a-shitty. The country, the world... the state of humanity is in a very bad place. Andrea and I do what we can but there is so much ignorance and one-sided arguing that there isn't much joy left in the world. We love our quiet time in nature but to be out in the world is to be at risk of seeing shitheads or getting pissed off by things humans do; things I have no control over. I'm at the end of my rope with the world.

With that frame of mind, we took a quick walk on a sunny June 15th through a place that has been absolutely destroyed over the past few years. "Progress" by Eversource consisted of flattening nature and encroaching into the largest uninterrupted marshland in Norfolk County. For some masochistic reason, I wanted to see how it was coming along this year. Parking was closed for the place, so we parked across the street and hiked in. The good news was, we probably wouldn't see other humans.

Of course, when Andrea spied the first Garter Snake in the path, she stopped to photograph it and a couple of bikes came barreling along, so she had to pick it up to save it.

We walked along the edge of the marshlands. The planks and heavy machinery has been removed for the most part, but the damage is done. But nature can be tenacious and greenery was trying like hell to come back. In a puddle surrounded by broken reeds, a female Mallard scooped for something to nibble on. Best of all, an intrepid female Painted Turtle said fuck you to Eversource and their destruction and was heading up to nest.

Hope springs eternal, even when the humans in charge don't give a shit.

We didn't get out again for another week.

One of the shitty things of late had been our feline daughter Ellie's declining health. A mass had been discovered in her stomach recently and that helped explain her slowing down. But things became really bad and she was just in too much discomfort. She passed over on the morning of June 22nd. We are devastated and we miss her terribly.

We decided that, rather than sit at home and cry, we'd go out on a hike and try to occupy our hearts and minds. We went to a new favorite spot, again in hopes of seeing turtles. It was thundering and the skies were dark when we got there... I guess maybe we should have checked the weather. We started in, saw a Racer, then headed back to the car to wait out a passing storm.

After a few minutes, we headed back in. No Racer this time, but we saw this Painted Turtle up crossing the path. Coming from nesting?

A teeny Greeny.

With the cloudy skies, breeze and off and on rain, we knew we wouldn't see as many turtles as usual. But they were there.

We tried some new (to us) paths and saw lots of beauty. Much needed beauty. We saw a beautiful white-striped Garter but didn't get a shot and didn't try to catch it. Leave it be. The next thing we saw was another Painter up and about...

The rain was off an on. Andrea got this spectacular shot of the sky, which tells the weather story better than I can.

Best of all, other than three young folks fishing, there were no humans at all.

We saw a few Snappers on the day but got no photos. Andrea saw another Racer, too. Hey- here's a basking Painted Turtle.

Andrea spotted the next animal and it was an extraordinary sight. This was our first Fowler's Toad of the year and it warmed our hearts to no end.

We realized while watching this toad that Ellie will indeed live on. This toad, with her stripes, lack of grace and low-key personality, is the very essence of Ellie. Tears happened, but smiles did too.

Finally got my camera on a snake, or at least part of one. A Northern Water Snake.

I was watching the water and a section of lily-pads looked like a truck was going through underneath. Such a commotion! I waited patiently to see whatever could be causing such a ruckus.

After sitting out a few rain bursts, we were heading back. Hey- this nesting Painter wasn't there before. Or was she?

She was rocking and pushing and hopefully being very successful.

A large Bullfrog, just hangin' out.

Not much basking going on but the Painters were there if you looked.

Andrea spotted some floral beauty.

This was a massive Bullfrog. Still is, I'll bet.

This is one of two uncovered nests that Andrea found on this day. She gently covered them both.

This one appears to be Painted Turtles.

I took this shot of a Painter and didn't realize until I got home that a big cowflop of a Bullfrog was in the shot, too.

A little Pickerel Frog hopped into the path.

You can't really tell from the picture but that top Painted Turtle is in mid-launch right here.

So much tannin in the water.

Another path Painter and another testament to the joy of nature. We watched her walk along in a very Ellie-like manner, then just walk into the grass and disappear. Perfection.

Almost to the car, we saw this little wisp of a Garter in the path.

Probably last-year's-model, he gave a lasso tongue demonstration and proceeded into the grass.

We went back into the wooded area for an unsuccessful look for Gray Tree Frogs. But, Andrea spied something special... could it possibly be tiny toad season already???

That little Garter was no dummy at all.

The last thing we saw was another adult Fowler's, who avoided the camera by hopping into the brush. But he didn't know who he was up against.

I got a pretty cool shot, too. And a tick on my belly.

So, that was us trying to make the best of a very shitty day. It helped.

The next day, we decided to go back to the same general area of the same county and look for a place we'd seen a sign for the day before. Why not see some new terrain?

The downside.... it was nice and there were humans present. But we kept to ourselves and explored this new spot, sticking close to the water. We didn't see any animals until we flipped this Goldtop Redback, the first cinerus we'd seen in quite a while.


The pond was big and a bit choppy and there wasn't any real basking spots. Finally, in the distance, we saw some Painted Turtles up enjoying the sun.


While sitting on a bench doing what I do best... watching water... I saw a sea creature swimming against the waves. This must be a huge Snapper! Makes up for the ones we couldn't get a shot of the day before.


We saw another rare summer Redback. That's right... it's summer now.


We went around to another spot there before leaving. I was flipping stones at the bottom of a dam, looking for Two-lines, and actually flipped a Ringneck! Aqua-Ringer swam off with no picture. Andrea wasn't as quick.


A little Pickerel tried to give me the slip but I captured its soul in this photo.


Before leaving, Andrea spied a little piece of perfection at the water's edge... a wee Painted Turtle.

We didn't show it to any of the humans that were about. They didn't deserve to see it.

That's it.