By WARREN STUTESMAN
Hello my friends, there is something wrong that I just can’t figure out.
I went to sleep on July 1 and when I awoke here it is August already. Time sure has a way of slipping by doesn’t it?
July to me did seem to be a pretty nice month. Some rain, some wind and some heat but over all a pretty pleasant four weeks. I have heard that July was the hottest month ever recorded globally, up 1.5 degrees. That temperature though is among the least of my worries, I trust that God will take care of the heat for me as long as I trust in Him.
Whatever the weather though we have sure been seeing a few snakes this year. We always have Garter Snakes but this year we have several Hog Nosed Snakes as well.
My birds are a bit upset with me. I had to take off the porch roof and re-shingle the house roof. That means I had to remove the feeders for a week. They have since been rehung, but I still get dirty looks from the Grosbeaks.
My wife, Kim, and I made it to a couple of our favorite birding places this month. First, we went to Tuttle Marsh over by Tawas. It’s a great place to observe water birds at a closer distance. We were very fortunate and were able to watch a Green Heron hunting and feeding on frogs.
Then on another day we went to the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Such an awesome variety of birds, it never fails to impress me. There were Egrets, Herons, Ducks, Coots and Gallinules and so many more. We even saw a very nice-looking Snapping Turtle.
My son, Zebulon, came home from working the other day and sticks his lunch box in my face and says hey dad I got you a present. Now I don’t know about your children, but this had red flags waving and alarm bells ringing all over it.
Come on dad he says open it. So carefully, as I am expecting a frog, turtle or at the very least a big snake to come jumping out at me, I crack open the box to discover a very nice and fresh Chicken of the Woods mushroom. Our kids do surprise us sometimes in very nice ways. Now I am looking forward to a General Tso’s Chicken of the Woods.
We have transplanted a few trees and with all the nice rain, boy are they doing good. I still have two Catalpa trees to get in the ground, we got them early this spring, but I left them in the pots until they were growing good for sure.
Well that’s it for August, I hope to see you all next month. Until then please get out and enjoy our outdoors. Let’s all help to keep our woods and waters clean.
Warren “Toad” Stutesman
warren@UpNorthVoice.com
989-745-2896
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