My new website is almost ready, which is a good thing, given that it’s been almost impossible to work with the old website.
I’ve seen some odd things lately. A few days ago, I saw an luna moth flying around in my woods, at about 3:00 in the afternoon. I’ve previously only seen them on our property very late at night, when I’ve had the spotlights on for the dog to do her business. Other places, I’ve only seen them during the day when they are dead or disoriented under strong security lights.
Another odd thing is that I saw a very young buck, obviously no more than a few months old and weighing probably thirty pounds, with a spike antler that was about eight inches long. There was a smaller spike on the other side, both still in velvet. In my experience, it is very unusual for a buck that age to have anything more than a bump or a button. I’ve heard a few other people say that the deer seem especially big antlers this year, but I have no idea of the cause. If anyone has a theory, I wish you’d email me and let me know.
We’re back to more seasonal temperatures after our second week of unusually cool days and nights, which was an unusual treat for a summer here.
Chuck Handte called me the other day to talk to me about a proposed Forest Service clear cut of old growth timber in the Cooper Creek area. I had heard about this clear cut, but not in detail. The Fannin Sentinel published a story a few weeks ago giving the Forest Service point of view, which was, of course, that the whole thing was perfectly OK and wouldn’t harm the forest at all. There’s a good deal to say about why this ain’t necessarily so, but I can’t get into it in depth until I get my new website up and running. In the meantime, if you Google “Georgia ForestWatch Campaigns Cooper’s Creek” you can read about the full horror of the proposal: 3,754 acres, 127 stands, 59 of which are over 100 years old and 25 of which are over 90 years old.
Looking forward, the Blues & Barbecue Festival is scheduled for September 20. The Buckner Brothers Band is scheduled to play a street dance the night before, when there is a pub crawl also taking place. Last year, the Buckner Brothers were the best band I head all weekend.