The bears have been a bit camera shy this summer, but no worries, some of the most beautiful creatures in the northern forest are the smallest, like that lovely dragonfly above and the always gorgeous clouded sulpher butterfly below.

Monarch butterflies are back enjoying the milkweed where they lay their eggs:

They have to share the sweet nectar with the look-alike fritillary butterfly and all the bees and other flying things:

The smaller bees seem partial to the thistle that is now growing wildly all over the place:

I spied this hungry goldfinch devouring the cattails in a swamp along the road:

Overhead, a cedar waxwing was on the lookout for berries:

While down below this poor turtle did not appreciate a photographer interrupting his slow crawl across the sand:

Out on the lakes, the mother ducks are happy now that their chicks are growing strong:

And the surest sign of summer already waning are the sightings of lone loons now lazily paddling along by themselves, no longer foraging for minnows to feed their young:

Nights are already cool here, and the pace begins to feel like a great winding-down — not that it was so wound-up this year with the impact of the pandemic.  I noticed a lot more people camping out in the back woods, and my friend tells me that most of the summer cabins have been rented for the entire season by people wanting to get out of the cities and the coronavirus dangers.  I’ve been glad to see that everyone up here is cooperating with mask rules, even the bears!