Can you still say welcome when we’ve already passed the big fourth of July mark? Usually we post our monthly welcome on the first Wednesday of the month, but last Wednesday was a bit crazy. After a late night flight on Tuesday, Alex and I woke up in our new home (rental) in Boulder! We were so excited to be here that we took off on our Taga for a ride around the city and Sarah filled in beautifully with her killer pizza post.

So I’m finally here with a late and lazy welcome, but isn’t that how everything should be in the middle of summer? Fashionably late and a little drowsy from a day out in the sun? Toss in a slice of watermelon and that’s what our house looks like every day around closing time.

Earth and Sky

Last month we shifted gears and told you about some of the more extreme migrations taking place across the globe. Wondering what’s going on with those animals now?

The poor wildebeest are just reaching the first big hurdle of their migration, the Grumeti River. The rains make this river particularly deep, which would be challenging enough, but the river is also full of crocodiles waiting to take advantage of the herds as they cross. And the wildebeest aren’t the only animals taking the plunge, zebra and other antelope will cross the river as they follow the same migration route.

The caribou from the Porcupine herd have begun moving off of their summer calving grounds along the coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They are moving with their calves into the foothills and mountains south of the coastal plain as they seek out cool, breezy areas that will give them relief from the mosquitos along the coast. In this post you can read more about what sounds like a beautiful day when the image of the caribou that I posted here was taken.

If they haven’t done so yet, the Arctic Tern’s eggs should hatch very soon. Both parents will care for the young, feeding them a steady diet of fish. After about 21-24 days the chicks will fledge, meaning that they’ve now developed the muscle strength and feathers for flight. Soon after, they will begin to learn to feed themselves, which requires plunging into open waters to catch fish!

Turning our heads to the sky, it’s a rather uneventful month. There’s a full moon on July 12th and the new moon on the 26th. The Delta Aquarids meteor shower peaks towards the end of the month from July 28-29th with about 20 meteors per hour. While that’s not a spectacular show, between the dark moon and warm summer nights, it should make for some great meteor viewing!

Fields and Festivals

Oh, there’s so much going on out there! July is a big month for festivals of all sorts. Showing a little PA pride, Sarah and I love the Boalsburg People’s Choice festival with PA-only venders.   There’s a fine art and craft festival at this weekend’s Boulder farmers market that I’m excited to explore.  Any fun or odd festivals going on where you live?

Expect your farmer’s fields to be bursting with produce. What’s in season? It’s easier to list what’s not (rhubarb, you’re gone in a flash! apples, we’ll be seeing you soon.). It’s time to buy local, buy ripe, and enjoy every nutritious bite! Not sure what to do with your market score? Our rosemary roasted veggies are a great place to start. I’m missing our farm-share like crazy, but am already researching local farms for next year. In our house it’s going to be a whole lot of farmers’ market visits this month and next. We’re going to the Boulder market for the first time tomorrow. We hear that in addition to the farmers’ stands there are great food truck options for dinner, so we’re hoping to make an evening of it.

If you’re looking for a farmers market in your neighborhood, I found this handy directory from USDA. It probably doesn’t list every market, but I tested it for a few locations where I’ve lived, and was happy to see my favorite markets listed.

Get out there and fill up on everything delicious, because those overflowing produce bins won’t last forever!

Wildebeest image from here. Caribou image by Fritz Mueller. Arctic tern eggs from adakbirding.com.