It hasn’t been as hot this week, although the generally rainy weather has continued. We haven’t had a really strong thunderstorm at our place in a while, which is something I usually enjoy. This year reminds me a lot of the way it was here twenty or so years ago, when seemed to rain much more than it does these days. The woods are looking lush and beautiful, and the birds and katydids certainly seem to be happy.
I’ve heard the call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo the last few mornings, and we thought we caught a glimpse of one this morning, when we first went out on the porch. The Carolina Wren’s first brood has just taken flight from under the porch roof, and I still hear the male Indigo Bunting singing in his favorite tree. Way down in the valley, I think I’ve seen a flight of Blue-winged Teal from time to time, but I can’t be certain. I’ve definitely seen a Great Snowy Egret flying along Cutcane Creek. I imagine he is hanging out at the old quarry further out Cutcane. I’ve also had good looks lately at a Red-shouldered Hawk, who has showed up lately to challenge my favorite Red-tailed Hawk for the territory. I wonder how the Peregrine Falcon who nests on our property feels about him, but I don’t see him often enough to ask.
Those of you who were at the Blues & BBQ Festival last year will want to mark your calendars for the Second Annual event, to be held Saturday, September 22, from Noon to 9:00 PM. Unfortunately, Francine Reed was not booked for a return visit. The bands this time are Roger Wilson, Frankie’s Blues Mission, Revenge, and the headliner, EG Kight, who is said to be coming off tour with B.B. King.
For those of you who have wondered why the renovation of the old depot has stalled, the answer is that the sills were badly rotted. That’s why they are exposed. This was not in the original estimate and grant, so the city has had to do some scrambling. As I understand it, they have decided to go ahead with what sounds like a very reasonable estimate for repair by a local contractor, even though the money is not yet fully in place. That’s good news, because that building is certainly a focal point of the old downtown.