Spring 2021 ended with some beautiful but hot days. Early summer 2021 was rainy. We needed it.
I wandered around the eastern part of the Upper Valley taking photos: Springfield, Danbury, Wilmot, New London, Sunapee, Sutton, Bradford, Newbury, Newport, Warner, and Washington. The mountain to the right in the photo above is Sunapee.
Canada Geese young were growing rapidly. Here is part of a family along the Sugar River in Newport in early morning backlight.
In Springfield, chairs were waiting to be filled along the shore of Baptist Pond.
This has been a banner year for chipmunks.
A visit to the relatively unknown gem that is Pillsbury State Park produced photos of various insects including these three.
While in Washington I photographed the white buildings in the town center.
And I could not resist a photo of Eccardt Farm, a wonderful, welcoming spot for young and old.
I found a waterlily in Russell Pond in Sutton.
I took a number of photos in Blodgett Landing in Newport.
I liked the greens of the ferns along the road we hiked.
These are interrupted ferns, also in Blodgett Landing.
There were some nice sunsets over Lake Sunapee.
I did not photograph “professional” fireworks this year but made one composite photo of some private ones.
Daylilies were in bloom everywhere in early July.
I enjoyed reading the back of this car. Note the “Where the heck is Wall Drug” just above the bumper. It is in Wall, of course. This destination spot that sells “everything” attracts over two million visitors each year to this 800-person village in South Dakota. I put three photos from Wall Drug at the end of this blog.
The Sunapee Historical Society in the harbor is worth a visit. Here is part of a wall of magazine covers on display there.
At McDaniel’s Marsh I photographed some royal ferns.
And a group waiting for one late kayak to launch before heading out.
I found an interesting Helmeted Guineafowl in Sutton.
At the Esther Currie WMA in New London I found a crab spider had captured a dragonfly.
Nearby was a beautiful Blue Dasher Dragonfly.
And an Eastern Forktail Damselfly.
A trip to the airport took us out of the Upper Valley briefly. On the way home after a 6 AM drop-off we hiked along the road at the Concord Community Gardens.
Looking toward the early sun from Burkehaven Harbor on Lake Sunapee produced a moody scene.
Mount Sunapee was seen behind this farm during a morning hike.
Much needed heavy rain caused Walker Brook in Danbury to run quite full.
I wanted overcast for those moving water photos, and I got it, but an hour later the sky had cleared over Lake Massasecum in Warner.
In Bradford I found that the historic Bemont Bridge, a long truss bridge built in 1854, had received a new “skin”.
Inside the bridge is was easy to tell the old from the new.
Also in Bradford, I found a somewhat overgrown old barn.
An insect that was about one inch long landed near me. I believe it is in the genus Panorpa.
One more sunset photo — this with a silly cat rolling over and ignoring the nice colors.
Finally three photos from Wall Drug.
