Here’s my idea of Independence Day:

High clear skies, miles and miles of beautiful wilderness, a pure lake with the only sounds being loons and warblers competing for air space…. now THAT is real independence!

Finally stopped raining long enough up here to get my boat on the water for a few hours, and it was heavenly!  At last I feel like it’s a real vacation!  I think this duck agreed…

I spied this great blue heron hiding out in some reeds on a stream near Lake Placid:

And this little frog was happily perched on a lily pad on a pond near Little Tupper Lake…

Driving along the road by Little Tupper Lake I saw this tiny turtle, no bigger than a bar of soap, cautiously sitting on the shoulder of the road waiting to cross:

By the time I was heading back along the road he (or she, who knows with turtles?) was halfway across the road and clearly looking in all directions for danger..

Damselflies, dragonflies and blue needles are everywhere…

On a meadow near Lake Placid, these tree swallows seemed to be having an argument about who would get first dibs on the birdhouse….

Sun’s come out so I’m off to the lake!  Stay tuned for more…

Follow me on Twitter @TrinityPrez

Check out my blogs on the Huffington Post