Dawn of a summer morning looks serene and quiet. Compared to a spring morning with the cacophony of bird song, there is actually little sound to reach the ears. But, under-laying that surface quiet is the energy bursting from the sun – a different kind of ‘noise’ if you will.
In high summer, the most fierce energy is the relentless, burning sun. Thunderstorms which would cool us a bit, if violently so, seem not strong enough to push themselves against the power of the sun. Even pernicious weeds in fencerows wilt against this intense sun energy.
Local farmers have labored in 100 degree heat to cut and bale hay for winter use. Two tractors with sun burned men chug back and forth across the field cutting, drying, windrowing the hay for three searing, hot days before it’s ready to roll up into bales. A lot of energy in man power, sweat and tractor fuel are flung against the face of the summer sun
A well-known summer resident is the Red Tailed Hawk. They literally ‘make hay while the sun shines’ in these suddenly scraped fields. Mice, quail and rabbits have lived safely under cover of the tall hay until now. It must seem like a war zone. Hawks dive and strafe the field like fighter bombers. Mice and rabbits flee in panic to safety under my porch only to find another danger – the teeth and paws of my twelve pound terrier.
Gershwin wrote “Summertime – and the livin’ is easy”. Well --- not always or for everybody.
beautiful and we have a red shouldered hawk that visits our pine tree.
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