Moons And Junes And Even A Ferris Wheel.

I think I may have mentioned a few times  here, on my blog,  that June  is my favorite month. It was the month of my birth and celebrations of a birthday are always fun for a  child. It is also the month when  solstice occurs, , the longest day of the year, and the month with the  most sunlight. 

It is also that time of year when the new growth of Spring reaches it’s peak and the forests and woodlands of Northeastern Pennsylvania are at their greenest splendor. And with the blooming of the mountain laurel, our state flower, there is no better time to explore our woodlands. 

Finally, as a child, it was also the time school ended and I so remember anticipating that last day of school  and how I would spend those carefree summer days exploring the unfamiliar world I was growing up in. Every flower, tree, bird, ant, frog,  spider, snake, insect, cloud, deer , rock and everything I could find was something to be inspected with the eyes of a child. 

The end of all of these carefree days began upon graduation from high school, although it was still a most wonderful summer before going away to college, and the real world.  I guess the point of all of this is that, on that June night at my high school graduation commencement this song was  played,  Both Sides Now performed by Judy Collins. It also brings back memories of the splendor of June and  those best years of my life. One line of lyrics reads “Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels…..”, and thus my idea for this  post. And also  since we happened to have a beautiful Strawberry moon here on Friday night.

I have always loved observing the moon and it’s different phases throughout  the year but it is most beautiful, I think, when it is full in June. Here is a link to some more photographs of the moon. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/Full-Strawberry-moon-June-9-2017

We also have finally had some beautiful weather here these past few days. . Plenty of sunshine and warmer temperatures made for nice walking weather and has also, finally,  brought out some insects. 

So I  decided take my macro lens out to see the world from a different perspective Friday  afternoon. 

I always looked at the many wonders of nature up close and remember spending countless hours observing an ant hill in my backyard even before I entered elementary school. 

My camera and macro lens now lets me continue those explorations and observations and social media allows me to now share these wonders I find. 

I was happy to see some bees attracted to the many comfrey flowers now in bloom.  There were no bees on the rhododendron flowers this year and this is a very frightening occurrence. Without pollination there will be no fruit or vegetables and we humans will be in trouble.We will have to learn to live off of grass, 

I enjoy how complex and beautiful even a leaf eaten be a caterpillar looks amazing under the macro lens. 

So many things to see in this world, including these white spiders that live on  daisies. Here is a link to some more photographs I took on my walk with the macro lens. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/Macro-walk-June-9-2017

Yesterday started out with some rain but turned into another beautiful day here in Pennsylvania. After my usual morning walk, I drove out to the local Rails to Trails where they were setting up for National Trails Day Bike and Hike event. 

I had volunteered to help set up the event  but there were plenty of folks there, so I asked if I could return later to help  put things away.

I wanted to attend my nephew Mikey’s high school.  trap shooting event in Elysburg.  So I was soon on the highway enjoying the beautiful scenery of our section of the State. There is no finer month to drive the roads of Pennsylvania than June.

I arrived just as my nephew began to shoot and, you may not believe this, anxiously watched every one of the 100 shots, he, and other members of his team took. 

It was a nice morning spent with my brother  Mike and his family, and some old friends who also had children participating in the event, in the June sunshine. 

The event lasted an hour or so and I was on my way back to the Rails to trails event. However, I knew that there was a Ferris wheel  at nearby Knoble’s Grove so I decided to get a photograph for this post. I was planning to park and get up close but the traffic to the park was horrible. I took this photo, and now had a moon and Ferris wheel, but also I was stuck in a traffic jam.

It turned out well, as things always do in June, since I decided to take the back road, Pine Swamp Road out of the park What a great decision. 

I rode through some beautiful back roads, passing creeks, farms and old churches. It was a perfect day to explore the countryside. 

And I also found a lake , part of the Roaring Creek tract of thre Weiser State forest. I was never here before so, of course, I had to get out and explore. 

Thinking I had to be back at the Rails to Trails to help at 2:30 p.m. I decided to spend a half hour and hike the trail along the lake.

It was a wide, well maintained trees with many hikers and bikers taking advantage of the serene woodland surrounding the trail.

I heard many birds in the tree above me but didn’t have time to wait and try to photograph them. I did enjoy their singing. And I was able to photograph a few of the many dragonflies, 

and butterflies I saw in my hike. 

It was a nice hike,  I spent an hour on the rail, but hope to get out there again, maybe today, as soon as I finish this post. Here is a link to some more photographs from my hike and visit to the trap shoot https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/Roaring-creek-and-trap-shoot-June-10-2017-

I got back to the Rails to trails at 2:30  only to learn they wanted me there at 1:30 since the event ended at 2 p.m. Most of the event was taken own but I helped with putting away a few table and chairs. I will have to listen more carefully next year. 

I decided to enjoy some more of the beautiful June sunshine  and took a quick hike out on the trail. Here is a link to some more photographs from my hike on the trail .

It was late afternoon when I got home, and the chores of everyday life awaited me, grocery shopping. laundry and some yard work. It was a long day and I was exhausted and have to admit I was asleep when the moon rose at 9:30 pm. Still it was a good June day, as they all our, and I am today  refreshed and ready  to get out and see some more of beautiful Northeastern Pennsylvania , as soon as I post this. Have a good day, get outside, and keep your eyes peeled. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/Rails-to-trails-June-10-2017-“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.”

–  L. M. Montgomery