Without Summer…

tanjabrittonwriter 41 Comments

. . . there would be no meadows filled with bright, cheerful sunflowers (see above) . . .

. . . or blooming, colorful cacti (see below). . .

To enlarge a photo, click on it. To read its caption, hover cursor over it.

Cholla (or Candelabra) Cactus (Cylindropuntia imbricata)
Plains Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia polyacantha)
Plains Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia polyacantha)
Plains Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia polyacantha)
Plains Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia polyacantha)
Plains Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia polyacantha)

. . . there would be no beautiful butterflies, dragonflies, or grasshoppers . . .

Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)/Westlicher Tigerschwalbenschwanz
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)/Distelfalter
Common Alpine (Erebia epipsodea)/?
Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella)/Zwölffleck
Plains Lubber Grasshopper (Bracystola magna)

. . . no baby birds begging to be fed. . .

Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina)/Veilchenschwalbe

Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina)/Veilchenschwalbe

. . . no cold-blooded lizards enjoying lizardom on sun-warmed rocks . . .

Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus)

Summer is not my favorite season on account of the heat it brings, but the experiences reflected in my photographs are reminders why I’m still glad summer exists. Along Colorado’s Front Range, the season has brought some days in the mid-90s, but no prolonged stretches of 110+ degrees of hell on earth. Some areas have experienced hail and flooding from violent thunderstorms repeatedly, but no devastating inundations such as the ones seen in New England; nor infernal wildfires, such as the ones in Europe and the Americas we hear about.

What might be even scarier than those fires are the ones we don’t hear about. I only recently realized that wildfires burn each year on each continent save Antarctica (I have always been a slow learner), and I can’t wrap my mind around how all the released carbon dioxide contributes to an ever-accelerating increase in green house gases and global warming, and how all the burned vegetation is no longer available to cool our planet and provide it with oxygen. I am sad for all humans and animals exposed to such intolerable and untenable conditions, and deeply concerned because they are only supposed to worsen.

Where do we go from here? Will summer still hold anything joyful in the future?

41 thoughts on “Without Summer…”

  1. You’ve ferried forth a commendable conglomeration of summer scenes (and Schwalbenschwanz carries its own alliteration). Easy to see why this is your favorite season, with the extended daylight hours offering more time for sightings than any other part of the year.

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  2. For me, summer’s main attraction is its butterflies, and I was particularly impressed by your Western Tiger Swallowtail. We have a similar species here, but it’s very localised and I’ve only ever seen it once. I expect you see yours every year? It’s also great to see your photos of cacti growing and flowering in the wild. As you can imagine, for us the only prospect of seeing a flowering cactus is indoors!

    I share your dismay at the extreme climatic conditions that have blighted the world in 2023. These are desperate times, and fear what the future may hold for Nature.

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    • Even though I know only a few by name, I also love butterflies, Mr. P. We are indeed fortunate in having swallowtails visit the wildflower patches in our garden regularly and have been seeing them daily for the last couple of weeks. The Painted Ladies have also been conspicuous.
      When I saw my first wild-growing cactus here, I was very surprised, but vast portions of Colorado are situated in a high-desert environment, where cacti are very common. It’s wonderful to seem them blooming in the wild.
      The news about our Earth are disheartening and I find it increasingly difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook. 😢

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  3. Your photographs are always an inspiration, Tanja. Such beautiful colour. The temperatures of our future summers is a concern. The mid 90’s is about the hottest we see, but rarely, and thankfully not this year, so far. Parts of Europe have suffered in excess of 110, a side effect of which has been the wettest July on record for the UK, and my region in particular. It’s a worry too when you see grand old trees that have flourished for centuries, familiar friends, showing signs stress.

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    • Thank you, Michael. I find it increasingly challenging to remain positive in view of all the negative news about the environment. It’s so sad to learn about loss of species near and far, and to watch others suffer. I hope the grand old trees you are referring to will hang on.

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  5. I really enjoyed seeing your photos, Tanja, especially of the beautiful cacti flowers, (something I don’t get to see in the wild in Canada). I hope humanity will get inspired to move quickly, to halt the climate change that threatens all of this wonder.

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    • Thank you, Julie, I wholeheartedly share your wish!
      Not having grown up with wild-growing cacti, I’m still surprised and delighted each time when I come across them during a walk, especially when they present themselves in different colors.

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  6. Summer is tough in many places, even before climate change settled in for the duration. Still, the amount of life lived is, to me, always remarkable–as your photos indicate. Love those little swallows!

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  8. You have beautifully illustrated why we love to be outdoors so much!

    Life has so much to offer for those who will take the time to observe. Such diversity! So many colors! Such fascinating behaviors!

    Summer is my favorite season!

    Okay, EACH season is my favorite as they all have something unique to enjoy.

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  9. Well, what can I say to this post but “Amen”.
    I guess we just have to keep on doing the best we can…
    On a lighter note, I laughed out loud at the lizards enjoying lizardom on the rocks. I never heard that word before, but it’s perfect. And hurrah to those lizards–they deserve a break. 😉
    Sending positive thoughts to you and the universe beyond,
    Cheers,
    Julie

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    • Thank you for positive thoughts for the universe, Julie. Let’s hope that all our positive thoughts will result in some positive changes.
      When we feel tired and in need of a nap on a hot summer’s day, my husband and I always joke about enjoying lizardom–a snooze in a sunny spot. 😊
      Take care,
      Tanja

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  10. Yes, summer leads into autumn when the earth (at least northern hemisphere) can take a breather from the heat and fires and repair itself, even if only a little bit. Plus the fall species arrive as photography targets.

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    • So far, nature has done an amazing job repairing itself (and the damage we have wrought), but I wonder how much longer it can continue without some serious help from the offenders.
      When one looks at the seasons objectively, each has a lot to recommend itself and I also look forward to fall with its great colors and new motifs (think returning migratory birds!).

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      • Eventually Nature wins, just might take time, IMHO. Fall is my favorite, cooler and drier air and less AC usage. Oh, and the birds too.

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  11. Vielen Dank Tanja für die tollen Bilder aus diesem herrlichen Sommer, der sich schon bald in den Spätsommer verabschiedet. Die in Europa lebenden Opuntien, Schwalbenschwanz, Heuschrecke, Uferschwalben und Eidechsen kenne ich auch gut.
    Ein lieber Gruss. Ernst

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    • Ich danke Dir, lieber Ernst. Wie schön, daß Dir die europäischen Versionen dieser Kreaturen auch bekannt sind.
      Hier wird es erst im September Spätsommer, und der August kann noch sehr sommerlich heiß sein, doch ich hoffe, die Hitze läßt überall nach, denn einige Gegenden habe schon unglaublich darunter gelitten.
      Dir wünsche ich einen angenehmen August.
      Tanja

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  12. I’ve been noticing some of our own summer delights recently: particularly, the annual molting of the cicadas, and the hatch of innumerable baby lizards. There’s nothing cuter than an inch-long gecko. I especially enjoyed seeing your swallows. That’s a species I’d not heard of, and they’re quite pretty. Your larger lizard’s attractive, too. We have a plant here called ‘lizard tail’ — you can imagine what the bloom looks like.

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    • I don’t remember having watched cicadas molt, and I guess I’m not spending enough time near lizard nurseries either, but a baby gecko sounds delightful.
      It’s really beautiful to see the violet and green colors of the adult swallows, but the little ones are still brown. They won’t molt before migration, something that would be fun to watch.

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  13. I love your baby swallows. We still have no rain but our critters are managing with a little help. Yesterday they had cold apples and grapes for breakfast. It’s amazing how adaptable we all are.

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  15. The cactus flowers are gorgeous! Their petals are so delicate and translucent and beautifully-coloured. What a contrast to their spikiness! (Summer here has been very unusual – we’ve had lots of rain. It’s absolutely pouring down right now, so no drought problems this year. 🙂 )

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    • I also love all the different cacti, Ann. Not having grown up with any, they seem very exotic. What a great way to store water for dry times. I’m glad you also don’t have to worry about drought this year. I love how green everything has been compared to previous years.

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  16. It’s important to look on the bright side even when the light seems dim and fading. The fact that we’re alive is a gift like no other and that’s something to take some measure of pleasure despite the constant threats we learn of almost on a daily basis. That having been said, I am a serious pessimist. 🙂
    Summer is a giver of many things that we can take pleasure in…aside form the heat. An incredible panoply of life, insects, birds, plants, and all that creating new copies of itself to keep their numbers going or growing. And, for me, frogs! 🙂 But I enjoy all the seasons and each has gifts to look forward to…even winter.
    I have a small cactus and succulent collection and would love to have the opportunity to see them in their natural habitat.

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    • I appreciate your thoughtful comment, Steve.
      I try to remain positive, but find it increasingly difficult. But at the same time, I’m extremely grateful for nature’s continued wonders and offerings, despite our indifference or even active destructiveness.
      I continue to enjoy summer’s gifts just as you, perhaps minus the frogs, as we either don’t have the variety here, or I am blind to them, seeing mostly bullfrogs who are invasive here.
      Having grown up in central Europe, seeing cacti growing wild will always be special for me, 🌵🌵🌵

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  17. Hello Tanja,
    What a lovely reminder for us to appreciate all seasons, even when we may find the worsening effects of global warming unbearable at times. I seem to say this every year, but this summer has been the worst (in terms of extreme heat, natural disasters) in this area of the world. It’s easy for us humans to complain about the heat and humidity (and understandably so), but I never fail to be amazed at the resilience of everything outside our man-made world.

    Like you, I find it increasingly difficult to remain “positive” – but seeing those baby swallows, along with all the other wildlife in this post remind me to keep on trying. Hope you have a safe and happy remainder of the summer, my friend.

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    • Thank you, Takami, and thank goodness for nature’s resilience–to a point, of course.

      Experiencing everything that is still beautiful, despite all the negative news and happenings, is the only thing that still keeps me (somewhat) sane.

      We have been very fortunate this year because of wonderful rains and the end of the drought, but I can understand how devastating it would be to experience all the negative effects of climate change first hand, as you are.

      Let’s hope–and work–for the best.

      Take care,
      Tanja

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