It is the 70th day of summer. Twenty Four days remain to your summer. Memorial Day is not the end.

September is a summer month, but it is a month that shares its days with fall. Despite unusually chilly nights, our days still reach the seventies. I am still sweating when I work outdoors. The sundown is still powered by a sun in the northern hemisphere. I am contemplating a call to city of Muskegon. City crews begin erecting snow fence on Pere Marquette beach Tuesday after Memorial Day, and perhaps we must ask them to wait until middle October. The big winds start to rise in September, but I believe the fence only needs to be in place by November, when the gales of November might come early. Yes, I've seen some blowing sand on the drive out to Pere Marquette during October, but I like driving on sand. Plus, sand on the road is good for traction when January adds the winter blanket of snow. Putting up the snow fence Tuesday, September 6, sends the wrong signal.

 

In late summer, the birds begin flocking. I love the flocking of birds, and this has been a good year for birds. The flocks are thicker; I wish we had a program in place to increase their populations. We have programs in place to increase the yield of fruit and grain, but no big plan in place to produce huge increases in bird count. Yes, volunteers are setting aside habitat and adding food gardens to them. Yes, flooding farm land along rivers and restoring historical swamps increases habitat for birds and kayakers alike. I would like to see increasing bird count become a competition amongst towns, with towns planning bird increase strategies the way the city parents plan downtown festivals. One good year can make a world of difference when it comes to increasing an animal population. Look at how our salmon populations surprised everyone with their recent plenty?