Just a few quick thoughts on the hottest season today. And I think my most instinctive, spontaneous thought is: I’m ready for it to be over. I’m not a hot weather person and this summer has tested my endurance. I’m ready to see the greens of the maples begin to grade into orange and hear noisy V’s of geese in the evenings.

And at the same time, I’ve got to be able to practice what I preach and appreciate the natural world in all of its variation and vicissitudes. I guess that even I could get tired of a permanent ice-fishing season (how far north do I have to go for that?). And I used to survive being out in the summer heat all the time, every day and night, with a pack on my back and a tent for my shelter. It’s all in my head I guess. Probably the ability to jump in and out of air conditioning does me more harm than good.

Summer hasn’t been all bad, even for this lover of ice and blizzards. Enjoy my collection of summer retrospective pics.