Where Did Summer Go?

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Swan and Cygnets ©Kim Smith 2014Henry’s Pond Swan Family, Rockport

Click on image to view the adorable cygnets larger.

Random snapshots not previously posted, taken during this past summer’s B-roll shoots for the Monarch Film and other film projects.

Where did summer go–she always flies by so swiftly–and this year seemed especially brief with the cooler than usual temperatures.

Cosmos and Coneflowers ©Kim Smith 2014Cosmos and Coneflowers

Rudbeckia ©Kim Smith 2014Wildflower Field, Essex

Silver-spotted Skipper ©Kim Smith 2014JPGSilver-spotted Skipper 

 

Published by Kimsmithdesigns

Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."

9 thoughts on “Where Did Summer Go?”

    1. Thanks so much Nat.

      I wish I knew what happened to the beautiful swan family. If it were snapping turtles, the babies would have disappeared one by one, but they vanished overnight. Swans move from body of water to body of water within an area, so hopefully they took up house at another location.

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      1. Hi Kim,

        Years ago, during mid-summer at Henry’s Pond, I discovered a female swan in distress; she was sitting on the shore, her leg badly wounded by what was probably a snapping turtle. Tried to get help from everyone, and finally got Angell-Tufts to come out. When they arrived, the swan had swum to the middle of the pond. Fortunately, the vet/techs brought a kayak in their mini-ambulance, and persuaded her to swim back to shore, When the vet picked her up in her arms, the swan fainted from loss of blood. They carried her into the ambulance on a little stretcher, revived her and took her away. A day or two later, I phoned to inquire. The swan had been euthanized because, apparently, she would not have survived on her own. I burst into tears, then went back to check on the male.

        Over the weeks to follow, the male (I named him Harold) and I became friends – sort of. I’d bring him swan food every so often and after awhile, even if he was sitting on the far side of the pond, Harold would recognize my car approaching and would swim rapidly to shore, waddling up me, hissing occasionally, as if to remind me that, even under the circumstances, he was still one tough bird and would tolerate no nonsense from anyone, including his benefactor.

        (a bit of this was reported in the Gloucester Daily Times – I don’t remember the year)

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        1. Thank you Nat for sharing this story. I understand how you felt, they are such beautiful creatures and to see one, or any animal, struggling with an injury really pulls at our heartstrings. I’m sorry it didn’t live despite yours and everyones best efforts.

          I hope the male returned the following year, with a new mate. The gentleman who looks after the Niles Pond swans told me that he had the same couple returning year after year until the female died. The following spring, the cob returned with a new wife and the pair had a family of five cygnets that year.

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  3. Agreed ~ summer was a flash ~ your photos are beautiful ~ I especially enjoy your swans. A couple of days ago your swans and ducks and perfectly timed splash framed by welcomed fall colors was a special show of the day ~ thank you

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    1. Thank you Mary for your always, always supportive comments. They are very much appreciated.

      Swans make for beautiful subjects. That big splash in the swan photo from a few days ago was a mystery. I saw something large falling from the tree and waited to see if anything emerged, but no.

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