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The height of summer is here, and the natural world is showing all the signs of the season. Most of the flowers you'll see at this time are tall and leggy as a result of different plants trying to get their flower up above the others so that pollinators will find it. With grasses, and an abundance of growth down near the ground the successful strategy for attracting a pollinator is to get your flower up there into view! Some of what you may be seeing in your travels are Angelica, White Wood Aster, Bee Balm, Cardinal Flower, Green headed Coneflower, Joe-pye Weed , Tall Blue Lettuce, Turtleheads, and Wingstem among others. If you're in the right location, up high, you might still find Turk's Cap Lilies in bloom! At higher elevations you'll notice some of the autumn blooming plants like Goldenrod coming into bloom.

Thistles are also in bloom. This is a sure sign that the American Goldfinch is breeding. Our area's only late summer into autumn breeding bird these beautiful creatures rely heavily on the various thistles for both food and nesting material.

For the skywatchers here's a reminder that the Perseid Meteors will be at their peak on the 12th and 13th of August, at around 2:00 AM both nights. Try to get out of town and away from the light pollution. Sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway should be good, and places like Roan Mountain even better!

I hope everyone is having a great summer and can get out and observe the transition into autumn. I'll be doing a program at the North Carolina Arboretum on the 14th, the Roan Mountain Naturalists Rally in September, and then have nothing on the books until October when I'm doing a few programs with Simon Thompson's Ventures.

I am doing a private program for the folks at Duke University's Continuing Education Program, and am looking forward to getting to know them, and having the chance to show these guys how gorgeous October in the mountains can be!

As always, if you'd like to arrange a walk or a slide program just let me know.