Sunrise behind the Presidential Range. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

Sunrise behind the Presidential Range. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

Overlooking a swampy stretch of the Ammonoosuc River just after sunrise. This is a great place to watch for moose in early morning and evening. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

Frankenstein Cliff in the sparkling sunlight of a late-summer morning. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park.

This is just about as dry as I've ever seen Arethusa Falls near the end of a parched summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

This is just about as dry as I've ever seen Arethusa Falls near the end of a parched summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The waning moon over Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The waning moon over Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from about halfway up the cliff on the south side. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from about halfway up the cliff on the south side. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

These crossed red spruce trees (Picea rubens) mark the halfway point as I climb up or down Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from the top of the south side of the cliff. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

"My" ledge at the top of Arethusa Falls. When I first started coming here in the early 1990s, the cracks were barely noticeable. Over the years, they've grown wider as each spring flood pushes the ledge a little closer to the edge of the cliff. One of these years, I'm going to have to find a new place to sit. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The Giant Stairs on Stairs Mountain, part of Montalban Ridge, seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Frankenstein Cliff, seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The riffle above Arethusa Falls, which might count as part of the overall height of the waterfall. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

This deep pothole in the riffle above Arethusa Falls is normally hidden by the torrent, but now visible in low water. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Montalban Ridge, seen from the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from just above Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls at the end of a dry summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The lower "horseshoe" section of Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from Bemis Falls toward Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The steep walls of the canyon of Bemis Brook support a lush forest, but close to the book you can see that it is just a thin mossy layer of soil on top of crumbling bedrock. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The steep walls of the canyon of Bemis Brook support a lush forest, but close to the book you can see that it is just a thin mossy layer of soil on top of crumbling bedrock. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from Bemis Falls toward Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Fawn Pool on Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Between Bemis Falls and Fawn Pool, Bemis Brook flows along slanted layers of granite, forming something like a stair-step waterfall more than 200 feet long and only thirty feet tall. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook takes one last plunge into Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Moss-covered boulder beside Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Frankenstein Cliff towers over the trail head parking lot. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail Head, Crawford Notch State Park.

One of several small brooks that will merge to form Silver Cascade near the northern end of Webster Cliff. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, White Mountain National Forest.

Wild oats (Uniola latifolia) overhanging the Mill Pond. This is a member of the grass family (Poaceae), not to be confused with sessile bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia), which is also called wild oats, but which is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae). Uniola latifolia is in the same family, but is a different genus from true oats and other cultivated grains. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A rather dramatic skyscape of cirrostratus clouds above maturing cumulonimbus thunderheads. Summer, Nashua, NH

A maturing cumulonimbus thunderhead beneath a layer of low cirrostratus clouds. Summer, Nashua, NH

A double-arc rainbow. Look at the rough triangle of sky formed by the rainbow, the top of the picture, and the trees on the right. About halfway from the rainbow to the opposite corner is a very faint rainbow with the sequence of colors reversed. (It shows better in the full-size version. Click on the picture.) (Photo taken with older Concord Eye-Q camera.) Summer, Nashua, NH

A bright, full-arc rainbow over my house. (Photo taken with older Concord Eye-Q camera.) Summer, Nashua, NH

A summer skyscape above the swampy Beaver Brook. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A summer skyscape. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Dragonflies (suborder Epiprocta) basking on the boardwalk. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) blooming beside the trail at the western end of Bouchard Bridge. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Gibbs Falls running low in the middle of a dry summer. The geologically recent change in its path is even more apparent in these conditions, and the casual observer might suppose that the waterfall moves farther to the left in normal, higher rainfall conditions. This is not so, and the waterfall flows pretty much where we see it now even in flood conditions. Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Looking northeast along the Presidential Range from the peak of Mount Jackson. At left is Mount Pierce, then Mount Jefferson in the distance, then round-topped Mount Eisenhower, then Mount Washington. There are other peaks between Eisenhower and Washington, but they don't show up well against the backdrop of Mount Washington. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Mount Washington seen from the upper bog on the north flank of Mount Jackson. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking north from the upper bog on the north flank of Mount Jackson, we see the Mizpah Springs Hut on the side of Mount Pierce. Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking northeast along the Presidential Range from the upper bog on the north flank of Mount Jackson. At left is Mount Pierce, then Mount Eisenhower, then Mount Washington (with the forest of antennas on top). Summer, Webster Cliff Trail, White Mountain National Forest

Looking down into Saco Lake from Idlewild overlook. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest across Saco Lake from Idlewild overlook. At left is the shoulder of Mount Willard. Next in the distance is Mount Willey. At center, Mount Tom. To the right, the shoulder of Mount Avalon. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Lupines (Lupinus perennis) and orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) bathe the meadow near the Elephant Head Trail Head in a riot of color. Late spring, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Bugle Cliff seen from the top of Elephant Head. Late spring, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch State Park

A steep hillside overlooking the narrow west end of the Mill Pond is covered with great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) and young maples (Acer sp.). Great laurel is one of the most common shrubs in the wooded areas of Mine Falls Park, but it is only conspicuous when it blooms in spring and summer, and when its leathery leaves are the only green thing in the forest understory in the dead of winter. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range

"Wild Bonsai" (Picea rubens) on top of Elephant Head, late spring, Crawford Notch

"Wild Bonsai" red spruces (Picea rubens) on top of Mount Jackson, summer, Presidential Range

Various lichens and algae on a large granite outcrop, summer, Pack Monadnock

The typical growth habit of the hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium), summer, Pack Mondadnock

A small bumblebee (Bombus sp.), smaller than average, emerges from her underground nest to forage. Early fall, Mine Falls Park

A huge bumblebee (Bombus sp.), possibly the queen, coming out of the same burrow. This one is easily four times the size of the one pictured above. Unlike honeybees (Apis sp.), queen bumblebees leave the nest to gather nectar and pollen just as the "workers" do. Early fall, Mine Falls Park

A spider on pink granite, late summer, Crawford Notch

Slugs on granite, late summer, Presidential Range

A female moose (Alces alces) crossing the road. Don't know why. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest

Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), late spring, Mine Falls Park

American toad (Bufo americanus americanus), mid-spring, Crawford Notch

American toad (Bufo americanus americanus), mid-spring, Crawford Notch

Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), mid-spring, Crawford Notch

Trail bridges through the swamps on the Elephant Head Trail, early fall, Crawford Notch

A gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) near the summit of Mount Jackson. Mount Webster in the background, Mount Willard nearly lost in the haze below. Late summer, Presidential Range

Silver Cascade, early summer, Crawford Notch

Silver Cascade, early summer, Crawford Notch

An overhanging ledge projecting above the forest, summer, Pack Monadnock

The swamp across the road from Elephant Head, northern slope of Mount Willard on left, Mount Tom background left, late spring, Crawford Notch

Mount Willard as seen from the top of Mount Jackson. Not so large and imposing from 2,000 feet above! The next line of peaks behind it, from left, Mount Willey, Mount Field, Mount Avalon. In the distance, Zealand Mountain. Summer, Presidential Range

Mount Willard as seen from Willey Pond. Notice how the top is not a "peak," but a flat shelf. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Approaching the top of Mount Willard, early summer, Crawford Notch

Looking south into Crawford Notch from the top of Mount Willard. Crawford Notch is a textbook example of a U-shaped glacial valley. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Looking west along the summit of Mount Willard. This wide, spacious shelf provides lots of quiet places to kick back, even on this very popular and easily climbed mountain. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Looking south into Crawford Notch from Elephant Head, summer, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Bugle Cliff as seen from Elephant Head, summer, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

Emerging on top of Elephant Head, late spring, Elephant Head, Crawford Notch

A dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), late summer, Presidential Range

Chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina) foraging in the middle of the Millpond Trail, early summer, Mine Falls Park

Gray jays (Perisoreus canadensis) on top of Mount Jackson will eat gorp right out of your hand, summer, Presidential Range

Dark-eyed junco, (Junco hyemalis) summer, Crawford Notch

Overlooking a swampy stretch of the Ammonoosuc River just after sunrise. This is a great place to watch for moose in early morning and evening. Late summer, White Mountain National Forest.

This is just about as dry as I've ever seen Arethusa Falls near the end of a parched summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

This is just about as dry as I've ever seen Arethusa Falls near the end of a parched summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The waning moon over Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The waning moon over Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from about halfway up the cliff on the south side. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from about halfway up the cliff on the south side. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls, seen from the top of the south side of the cliff. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook above Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The riffle above Arethusa Falls, which might count as part of the overall height of the waterfall. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

This deep pothole in the riffle above Arethusa Falls is normally hidden by the torrent, but now visible in low water. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from just above Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Arethusa Falls at the end of a dry summer. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The lower "horseshoe" section of Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from Bemis Falls toward Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Looking down Bemis Brook from Bemis Falls toward Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Falls. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Fawn Pool on Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Between Bemis Falls and Fawn Pool, Bemis Brook flows along slanted layers of granite, forming something like a stair-step waterfall more than 200 feet long and only thirty feet tall. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook takes one last plunge into Fawn Pool. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

One of several small brooks that will merge to form Silver Cascade near the northern end of Webster Cliff. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, White Mountain National Forest.

Wild oats (Uniola latifolia) overhanging the Mill Pond. This is a member of the grass family (Poaceae), not to be confused with sessile bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia), which is also called wild oats, but which is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae). Uniola latifolia is in the same family, but is a different genus from true oats and other cultivated grains. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A dragonfly (suborder Epiprocta) hovers briefly near the end of a glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) overhanging the Mill Pond, while a water strider (Gerris sp.) sits on the surface of the pond below. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A huge patch of pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) in a shallow bay of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Looking north into the swampy margin of Beaver Brook from Bouchard Bridge. The nest box is intended for wood ducks (Aix sponsa), but I've never seen them there. Mostly, the red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) use it as a perch. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A summer skyscape above the swampy Beaver Brook. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A female red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perched on a reed. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

The Merrimack River flows gently between forested banks, hidden from the suburban sprawl all around. Summer, Town of Andover Conservation Commission, Andover, MA

This swampy backwater of the Merrimack River supports a variety of aquatic plants and animals, and slow-water fish. Summer, Town of Andover Conservation Commission, Andover, MA

Gibbs Falls running low in the middle of a dry summer. The geologically recent change in its path is even more apparent in these conditions, and the casual observer might suppose that the waterfall moves farther to the left in normal, higher rainfall conditions. This is not so, and the waterfall flows pretty much where we see it now even in flood conditions. Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest

Looking down into Saco Lake from Idlewild overlook. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Looking southwest across Saco Lake from Idlewild overlook. At left is the shoulder of Mount Willard. Next in the distance is Mount Willey. At center, Mount Tom. To the right, the shoulder of Mount Avalon. Summer, Saco Lake Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A steep hillside overlooking the narrow west end of the Mill Pond is covered with great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) and young maples (Acer sp.). Great laurel is one of the most common shrubs in the wooded areas of Mine Falls Park, but it is only conspicuous when it blooms in spring and summer, and when its leathery leaves are the only green thing in the forest understory in the dead of winter. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A dragonfly patrols his territory, keeping other males of the same species away from his chosen stretch of the shore. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) lurking in the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The silver maple (Acer saccharinum) turns white, showing the underside of its leaves, right before a thunderstorm. This is not some mystical power of the silver maple, but a consequence of its normal growth. Its leaves are angled to be stable in the prevailing winds, but an unusual wind, such as the gusts preceding a thunderstorm, makes the leaves flutter or turn over completely, revaling their silvery undersides. Spring, Mine Falls Park

Water spider (family Cybaeidae). The surface he's standing on is actually water with a dense growth of tiny duckweed (Lemna minor) floating on it. Summer, Mine Falls Park

An aquatic flower garden, including pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) soft rush (Juncus effusus) and common cattail (Typha latifolia), summer, Mine Falls Park

Water strider (Gerris sp.), late summer, Crawford Notch

Two water striders (Gerris sp.) eat a fallen mayfly (family Ephemeridae) while a smaller water strider waits his turn, summer, Mine Falls Park

Water strider (Gerris sp.) on the still water of the Mill Pond, summer, Mine Falls Park

A dragonfly rests on a twig of glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula). I had previously misidentified this plant as black gum, so that is what the picture file name says. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) loitering in the shallows of the canal, summer, Mine Falls Park

A water strider (Gerris sp.) floating above pink granite, early summer, Crawford Notch

A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the first one I saw in 2007, on a flower overhanging the Mill Pond, mid-summer, Mine Falls Park

This is the beaver (Castor canadensis) lodge that was built on the north shore of the Mill Pond in 2006. By 2007, it had been abandoned and then reoccupied. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Water spider (family Cybaeidae), mid-spring, Mine Falls Park

Painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) basking on a log, mid-spring, Mine Falls Park

Trail bridges on the Saco Lake Trail get you past a place where the rock face touches the lake itself, early fall, Crawford Notch

A stair-step horseshoe-shaped waterfall below the main part of Bemis Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

A stair-step horseshoe-shaped waterfall below the main part of Bemis Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

Coliseum Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

Coliseum Falls on Bemis Brook, late summer, Crawford Notch

Silver Cascade, early summer, Crawford Notch

Silver Cascade, early summer, Crawford Notch

Arethusa Falls with far less water than usual, late summer, Crawford Notch

Overlooking Saco Lake from Idlewild Overlook, Crawford Depot on opposite shore, Mount Tom in background, summer, Crawford Notch

Looking northwest from Idlewild Overlook across Saco Lake, early summer, Crawford Notch

Ripley Falls, summer, Crawford Notch

Bemis brook scoots across broken ledges between Bemis Falls and Fawn Pool, spring, Crawford Notch

Bemis Falls, spring, Crawford Notch

Coliseum Falls along Bemis Brook, spring, Crawford Notch

Another view of Coliseum Falls along Bemis Brook, spring, Crawford Notch

Mount Willard as seen from Willey Pond. Notice how the top is not a "peak," but a flat shelf. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Gibbs Falls on Gibbs Brook along Crawford Path. Does it look familiar? This is the waterfall I use as a vertical margin on the left side of each page of this Web site. Notice the smooth stone to the left of the main fall, clearly indicating that the water flowed there very recently. Notice the boulder in the pool just over halfway up the waterfall, which slows the flow of the water as it begins its final plunge. Clearly, this boulder fell into that pool very recently and changed the whole character of the waterfall. Summer, Mount Pierce, Crawford Notch

Arethusa Falls, late spring, Arethusa Falls, Crawford Notch

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) on the prowl in the Mill Pond, mid-summer, Mine Falls Park

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) on the prowl in the Mill Pond, mid-summer, Mine Falls Park

Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), early summer, Mine Falls Park

Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) swims with his body almost completely submerged, late spring, Mine Falls Park

The double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) basks to dry out his non-waterproof feathers, late spring, Mine Falls Park

Beaver (Castor canadensis) lodge in Saco Lake, early summer, Crawford Notch

These crossed red spruce trees (Picea rubens) mark the halfway point as I climb up or down Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The steep walls of the canyon of Bemis Brook support a lush forest, but close to the book you can see that it is just a thin mossy layer of soil on top of crumbling bedrock. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

The steep walls of the canyon of Bemis Brook support a lush forest, but close to the book you can see that it is just a thin mossy layer of soil on top of crumbling bedrock. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

Moss-covered boulder beside Bemis Brook. Late summer, Bemis Brook Trail, Crawford Notch State Park.

A small bush growing in a crack in "my" ledge at the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

A spider in a small bush at the top of Arethusa Falls. Late summer, Arethusa Falls Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

One of several small brooks that will merge to form Silver Cascade near the northern end of Webster Cliff. Summer, Webster-Jackson Trail, White Mountain National Forest.

Calico aster (Aster lateriflorus) and showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) . Summer, Mizpah Springs Hut, White Mountain National Forest.

Calico aster (Aster lateriflorus). Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest.

Smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum) in fruit. Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest.

Lush undergrowth along the sunny side of Crawford Path in the high swampy balsam forest. Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest.

Lush undergrowth along the sunny side of Crawford Path in the high swampy balsam forest. Summer, Crawford Path, White Mountain National Forest.

Sweet goldenrod (Solidago odora). Late summer, Mine Falls Park

Wild oats (Uniola latifolia) overhanging the Mill Pond. This is a member of the grass family (Poaceae), not to be confused with sessile bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia), which is also called wild oats, but which is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae). Uniola latifolia is in the same family, but is a different genus from true oats and other cultivated grains. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A dragonfly (suborder Epiprocta) hovers briefly near the end of a glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) overhanging the Mill Pond, while a water strider (Gerris sp.) sits on the surface of the pond below. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A huge patch of pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) in a shallow bay of the Mill Pond. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) in bloom. Summer, Mine Falls Park

A yellow swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus), also known as the eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, on an American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). Early summer, Beaver Brook Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A spittlebug (Superfamily Cercopoidea) hidden in froth that is sometimes called "snake spit." It is actually a froth of plant sap produced by the larva to hide itself from predators. They are abundant along the edges of the orchard near the Brown Lane Barn. I find them most often on plants like this: Tallish single-stalked plants with stemless leaves. (Don't know the name of the plant.) Early summer, Self-Guided Nature Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A female red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) perched on a reed. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Dragonflies (suborder Epiprocta) basking on the boardwalk. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

A dragonfly (suborder Epiprocta) basking on the boardwalk. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum) blooming beside the trail at the western end of Bouchard Bridge. Early summer, Bouchard Bridge, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, NH

Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) with some sort of wasp (family Vespidae) on it. Summer, Riverside Office Park, Andover, MA

Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) with some sort of wasp (family Vespidae) on it. Summer, Riverside Office Park, Andover, MA

This swampy backwater of the Merrimack River supports a variety of aquatic plants and animals, and slow-water fish. Summer, Town of Andover Conservation Commission, Andover, MA

Lupines (Lupinus perennis) and orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) bathe the meadow near the Elephant Head Trail Head in a riot of color. Late spring, Elephant Head Trail, Crawford Notch State Park

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum). This may be the same species as the rhododendrons in your garden. Many, even the wild ones, have pink flowers, but nearly all of the wild ones in New Hampshire have white flowers. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum). This may be the same species as the rhododendrons in your garden. Many, even the wild ones, have pink flowers, but nearly all of the wild ones in New Hampshire have white flowers. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Great laurel (Rhododendron maximum). This may be the same species as the rhododendrons in your garden. Many, even the wild ones, have pink flowers, but nearly all of the wild ones in New Hampshire have white flowers. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Mouse-ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella). Looks like a spindly dandelion, even more so than the common yellow hawkweek (H. pratense). It is also an invader from Eurasia. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

Mouse-ear hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella) close up. Note the "ragged" ends of the ray florets, which give the plant its name. Late spring, Mine Falls Park

A bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) lurking in the Mill Pond. Spring, Mine Falls Park

The silver maple (Acer saccharinum) turns white, showing the underside of its leaves, right before a thunderstorm. This is not some mystical power of the silver maple, but a consequence of its normal growth. Its leaves are angled to be stable in the prevailing winds, but an unusual wind, such as the gusts preceding a thunderstorm, makes the leaves flutter or turn over completely, revaling their silvery undersides. Spring, Mine Falls Park

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range

A little garden of ferns on a granite boulder, late summer, Presidential Range

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) in fruit, summer, Presidential Range

Blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis) in fruit. This is why this yellow flower is called the "blue-bead" lily. Summer, Presidential Range

Blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis) in fruit, summer, Presidential Range

Water spider (family Cybaeidae). The surface he's standing on is actually water with a dense growth of tiny duckweed (Lemna minor) floating on it. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Underside of a fern leaf, summer, Mine Falls Park

Berries of glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula). I had previously misidentified this plant as black gum, so that is what the picture file name says. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Berries of glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula). I had previously misidentified this plant as black gum, so that is what the picture file name says. Summer, Mine Falls Park

An aquatic flower garden, including pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) soft rush (Juncus effusus) and common cattail (Typha latifolia), summer, Mine Falls Park

Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora), a very odd flowering plant that does not photosynthesize, but gets all its nutrients from fungi, summer, Mine Falls Park

A dragonfly rests on a twig of glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula). I had previously misidentified this plant as black gum, so that is what the picture file name says. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Wood sorrel (Oxalis europaea) in bloom. This is the non-native yellow-flowering form. In the mountains, I more often see the North American native O. montana, with its pink-streaked white flowers. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) in bloom, summer, Mine Falls Park

Patch of wood sorrel (Oxalis montana). This is the native North American type. The common wood sorrel on your lawn or in your city park is more likely O. europaea, an invasive form. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Bracket fungus on a long-dead tree, early summer, Crawford Notch

A leaf of wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) that has been eaten by an insect larva. Notice how the track got larger as the insect grew. Summer, Pack Monadnock

Close-up of a leaf of wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) that has been eaten by an insect larva, Summer, Pack Monadnock

Various lichens and algae on a large granite outcrop, summer, Pack Monadnock

The typical growth habit of the hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium), summer, Pack Mondadnock

A bumblebee (Bombus sp.) departs from a purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) with her pollen baskets full, summer, Mine Falls Park

A leaf beetle (possibly Acalymma sp.) on a showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa), summer, Mine Falls Park

Wasp (family Vespidae) on a showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa), summer, Mine Falls Park

Bumblebee (Bombus sp.) on a pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), summer, Mine Falls Park

Bumblebee (Bombus sp.) on a pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), summer, Mine Falls Park

Grasshopper, summer, Mine Falls Park

Question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis), summer, Mine Falls Park

A bee (family Apidae, possibly Nomada sp.) on a stiff aster (Aster linariifolius), late summer, Crawford Notch

A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the first one I saw in 2007, on a flower overhanging the Mill Pond, mid-summer, Mine Falls Park

A field of lupines (Lupinus perennis). Some are white when they first open, passing through pink before they become purple. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Rough-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago rugosa), late summer, Mine Falls Park

Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa), summer, Presidential Range

Calico aster (Aster lateriflorus), summer, Presidential Range

Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), an aggressive invader, but rather beautiful. It grows everywhere that could be called moist, from the soggy margins of a pond to the low dips in a meadow, and has become one of the most common flowers in New England. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), summer, Mine Falls Park

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) close up, with the ever-present bumblebee (Bombus sp.), summer, Mine Falls Park

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), a rather beautiful plant with a rather ugly name, summer, Mine Falls Park

Bushy aster (Aster dumosus), summer, Mine Falls Park

Bushy aster (Aster dumosus), summer, Mine Falls Park

Orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), also known as touch-me-not. Notice the peculiar way the flower grows. The stem is attached near the front of the flower, and the narrow base of the flower just ends in mid-air. Also, the flower stalk branches off from a leaf stalk rather than being directly attached to the plant's main stem or branches. The yellow or pale jewelweed (I. pallida) that lives farther south also grows in this odd way. Summer, Mine Falls Park

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis). Although it has clusters of tiny florets (and the "petals" are not petals, but leaf-like bracts), this little plant is not in the Asteraceae family, but in the dogwood family Cornaceae. Unlike the Asteraceae, the Cornaceae do not have distinct ray and disc florets. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca), early summer, Crawford Notch

Orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca), early summer, Crawford Notch

Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) with a fly on it, early summer, Crawford Notch

Close-up of lupine (Lupinus perennis) flower cluster, showing the transition from white at the top to almost purple at the bottom, early summer, Crawford Notch

Close-up of lupines (Lupinus perennis). I've sometimes heard them described as looking like little ladies' bonnets. To me, they look like little "thumbs-up" mittens. Early summer, Crawford Notch

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), early summer, Mine Falls Park

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), early summer, Mine Falls Park

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), early summer, Mine Falls Park

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), early summer, Pack Monadnock

Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), early summer, Crawford Notch

Wild roses (Rosa sp. possibly R. virginiana) in bud in the meadow near the Elephant Head trail head, early summer, Crawford Notch

Lupine (Lupinus perennis) and orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) in the meadow near the Elephant Head trail head, late spring, Crawford Notch