BACK TO SCHOOL!
Mirroring the blue skies we have been having, is this beautiful blue flower that you may have seen blooming along our wetlands here at the campground. It is one of the Skullcaps, though I have not keyed it down for positive identification. I never noticed that the flowers are fuzzy before taking this picture! How many blue flowers can you think of?

I finally got over to the campground after family gatherings and distractions. My daughter from Florida and I took a hike yesterday looking for Monarch caterpillars on the numerous Milkweed patches. I have been concerned about there being far fewer than last year, but Liz has a keen eye for these larvae. We found nearly two dozen of all sizes on patches near the beaches on the south end of the island, and more down near Sanddollar Beach. I shall be rearing some of these to show at the local schools. In the past, Liz has taken some when she flies back home to Florida to give them a hitchhike enroute to Mexico. This year, she will leave them for me to attend to, though they did seem to weather the altitudes!

At Sunset Lagoon, I spied a woman picking up something off the rocks. I went down and found that she was collecting Periwinkles for dinner! She was from Montreal and says that up there they have paid $10 for a pound of these snails! She grimaced when I told her fishermen get $.80 a pound for gathering them in the winter! She loves these animals, and sort of slurped as she explained her enthusiasm for eating these small snails.

I had a wonderful kayak outing this week. The water was calm and breezes less a factor. I was intrigued by two large boats that were out between Wood Island and the campground pulling up nets of fish. I wanted to paddle out and photograph this activity, but by the time I went back for the camera they were taking off. I was told it was pogies that they were catching for lobster bait. These large boats were back the next day also. While out on the water, we checked out the coves at West Point. A lobsterman was pulling traps, and sailboats were being hauled in tandem for winter storage. In the fishing village of West Point near Carrying Place Head, we spotted this boat with its colorful stern.

We are preparing for rain and maybe stormy seas as Hanna makes its way north. The waters have been so calm.....great for kayaking and swimming. You may see pictures of surf and exciting wave action in the days to come if I can get out between showers. Otherwise, there is a wedding in the Kelp Shed this weekend, and the students from Waldorf schools arrive on Sunday. I continue to harvest vegetables from the garden. I have Zucchini squash coming out my ears, and tomatoes galore. I even have a pumpkin starting to turn orange! I wonder if it will rot before Halloween gets here? The pole beans are being devastated by Japanese Beetles.

9/5/08 Ronnie, into September!