The year is but a succession of days,
and I see that I could assign some office to each day
which, summed up, would be the history of the year.
Henry Thoreau, August 24, 1852
I sit in the shade
to hear a wood thrush at noon
and smell the dry leaves.
Stars seen reflected
in the bottom of my boat
part full of water.
The evening star
in undulating water
like bright sparks of fire.
Wild rose, pride of June.
A bud brought home fills my
chamber with fragrance.
Willow gone to seed
its down covers the water
white amid the weeds.
The moist bark stripped from
a bass sapling smells just
like a cucumber.
Glistening oak woods
(their fresh leaves in the June air)
where the wood thrush sang.
Tender green fronds of
Osmunda regalis growing
in hollow circles.
Young birds shoot like twigs.
The young as big as the old
when they leave the nest.
 |
| June 15. 2018 |
This morning, a shower! The robin only sings the louder for it. He is inclined to sing in foul weather. . . . By half past five, robins more than before, crows, of course, and jays. June 15, 1852
Robin’s nest in apple tree, twelve feet high — young nearly grown. June 15, 1855
Young robins, dark-speckled, June 15, 1852
Young crow blackbirds which have left the nest, with great heads and bills, the top of the head covered with a conspicuous raised light-colored down. June 15, 1859
Birds shoot like twigs. The young are as big as the old when they leave the nest; have only got to harden and mature. June 15, 1859
Birds shoot like twigs. The young are as big as the old when they leave the nest; have only got to harden and mature. June 15, 1859
Methinks the birds sing a little feebler nowadays. The note of the bobolink begins to sound somewhat rare. June 15, 1854
I sit in the shade of the pines to hear a wood thrush at noon. The ground smells of dry leaves ; the heat is oppressive. June 15, 1851
Suddenly hot weather, - 90° - after very cool days. June 15, 1859
Suddenly hot weather, - 90° - after very cool days. June 15, 1859
This melting weather makes a stage in the year. June 15, 1852
We have had warmer weather for several days. A new season begun. June 15, 1860
A thunder-shower in the north goes down the Merrimack. June 15, 1860
This is the third afternoon that we have had a rumbling thunder-cloud arise in the east, — not to mention the west, — but all signs have failed hitherto. June 15, 1854
The drouth begins. The dry z-ing of the locust is heard. June 15, 1852
The crickets creak louder and more steadily; the bullfrogs croak in earnest. June 15, 1852
A deafening sound from the toads, and intermittingly from bullfrogs. June 15, 1852
The bullfrogs are very loud, of various degrees of baseness and sonorousness, answering each other across the river with two or three grunting croaks. June 15, 1852
The bullfrogs now commonly trump at night, and the mosquitoes are now really troublesome. For some time I have not heard toads by day, and the hylodes appear to have done. June 15, 1860
And the yarrow, with its persistent dry stalks and heads, is now ready to blossom again. June 15, 1851
Yarrow out, how long? June 15, 1859
Blue flag abundant. June 15, 1859
The fields are blued with blue-eyed grass, — a slaty blue. June 15, 1852
Blue-eyed grass at height. June 15, 1859
The blue-eyed grass, well named, looks up to heaven. June 15, 1851
Here also, at Well Meadow Head, I see the fringed purple orchis, unexpectedly beautiful, though a pale lilac purple, — a large spike of purple flowers. June 15, 1852
Saw near mill, on the wooded hillside, a regular old-fashioned country house, long and low, one story unpainted, with a broad green field, half orchard, for all yard between it and the road, — a part of the hill side, — and much June-grass before it. June 15, 1859
Herd's-grass spikes just appear; not in bloom. June 15, 1859
A fly (good-sized) with a large black patch on the wing and a reddish head alights on my hand. June 15, 1859
See the first wild rose to-day on the west side of the railroad causeway. June 15, 1851
The common, early cultivated red roses are certainly very handsome, so rich a color and so full of blossoms; you see why even blunderers have introduced them into their gardens. June 15, 1852
Here are many wild roses northeast of Trillium Woods. It is the pride of June. June 15, 1853
The rude health of the sorrel cheek has given place to the blush of clover. June 15, 1853
Clover now in its prime. What more luxuriant than a clover-field? June 15, 1853
The whiteweed has suddenly appeared, and the clover gives whole fields a rich appearance, -- the rich red and the sweet-scented white. The fields are blushing with the red species as the western sky at evening. June 15, 1851
How interesting a thin patch of strawberry vines now on a rocky hillside, though the fruit is quite scarce! June 15, 1859
Strawberries in the meadow now ready for the picker. They lie deep at the roots of the grass in the shade. June 15, 1853
Quite a feast of strawberries on Fair Haven, — the upland strawberry. The largest and sweetest on sand. The first fruit. June 14, 1852
I perceive , as formerly , a white froth dripping from the pitch pines, just at the base of the new shoots. It has no taste. June 15, 1851
The meadows sparkle with the coppery light of fireflies. The evening star, multiplied by undulating water, is like bright sparks of fire continually ascending. June 15, 1852
It is candle-light. The fishes leap. June 15, 1852
I observe to-night, June 15th, the air over the river by the Leaning Hemlocks filled with myriads of newly fledged insects drifting and falling as it were like snow flakes . . . while the river below is dimpled with the fishes rising to swallow the innumerable insects which have fallen [into] it and are struggling with it. June 15, 1850
I saw how He fed his fish. June 15, 1850
Black willow is now gone to seed, and its down covers the water, white amid the weeds. June 15, 1854
Notice the down of the white willow near the bridge . . . This is a late willow to ripen, but the black willow shows no down yet, as I notice. June 15, 1860
The swamp-pink apparently two or even three days in one place. June 15, 1854
I see fields a mile distant reddened with sorrel. June 15, 1852
The year is in its manhood now. June 15, 1852
This is the third afternoon that we have had a rumbling thunder-cloud arise in the east, — not to mention the west, — but all signs have failed hitherto. June 15, 1854
The drouth begins. The dry z-ing of the locust is heard. June 15, 1852
The crickets creak louder and more steadily; the bullfrogs croak in earnest. June 15, 1852
A deafening sound from the toads, and intermittingly from bullfrogs. June 15, 1852
The bullfrogs are very loud, of various degrees of baseness and sonorousness, answering each other across the river with two or three grunting croaks. June 15, 1852
The bullfrogs now commonly trump at night, and the mosquitoes are now really troublesome. For some time I have not heard toads by day, and the hylodes appear to have done. June 15, 1860
And the yarrow, with its persistent dry stalks and heads, is now ready to blossom again. June 15, 1851
Yarrow out, how long? June 15, 1859
Blue flag abundant. June 15, 1859
The fields are blued with blue-eyed grass, — a slaty blue. June 15, 1852
Blue-eyed grass at height. June 15, 1859
The blue-eyed grass, well named, looks up to heaven. June 15, 1851
Here also, at Well Meadow Head, I see the fringed purple orchis, unexpectedly beautiful, though a pale lilac purple, — a large spike of purple flowers. June 15, 1852
Saw near mill, on the wooded hillside, a regular old-fashioned country house, long and low, one story unpainted, with a broad green field, half orchard, for all yard between it and the road, — a part of the hill side, — and much June-grass before it. June 15, 1859
Herd's-grass spikes just appear; not in bloom. June 15, 1859
A fly (good-sized) with a large black patch on the wing and a reddish head alights on my hand. June 15, 1859
See the first wild rose to-day on the west side of the railroad causeway. June 15, 1851
The common, early cultivated red roses are certainly very handsome, so rich a color and so full of blossoms; you see why even blunderers have introduced them into their gardens. June 15, 1852
Here are many wild roses northeast of Trillium Woods. It is the pride of June. June 15, 1853
The rude health of the sorrel cheek has given place to the blush of clover. June 15, 1853
Clover now in its prime. What more luxuriant than a clover-field? June 15, 1853
The whiteweed has suddenly appeared, and the clover gives whole fields a rich appearance, -- the rich red and the sweet-scented white. The fields are blushing with the red species as the western sky at evening. June 15, 1851
How interesting a thin patch of strawberry vines now on a rocky hillside, though the fruit is quite scarce! June 15, 1859
Strawberries in the meadow now ready for the picker. They lie deep at the roots of the grass in the shade. June 15, 1853
Quite a feast of strawberries on Fair Haven, — the upland strawberry. The largest and sweetest on sand. The first fruit. June 14, 1852
I perceive , as formerly , a white froth dripping from the pitch pines, just at the base of the new shoots. It has no taste. June 15, 1851
The meadows sparkle with the coppery light of fireflies. The evening star, multiplied by undulating water, is like bright sparks of fire continually ascending. June 15, 1852
It is candle-light. The fishes leap. June 15, 1852
I observe to-night, June 15th, the air over the river by the Leaning Hemlocks filled with myriads of newly fledged insects drifting and falling as it were like snow flakes . . . while the river below is dimpled with the fishes rising to swallow the innumerable insects which have fallen [into] it and are struggling with it. June 15, 1850
I saw how He fed his fish. June 15, 1850
Black willow is now gone to seed, and its down covers the water, white amid the weeds. June 15, 1854
Notice the down of the white willow near the bridge . . . This is a late willow to ripen, but the black willow shows no down yet, as I notice. June 15, 1860
The swamp-pink apparently two or even three days in one place. June 15, 1854
I see fields a mile distant reddened with sorrel. June 15, 1852
The year is in its manhood now. June 15, 1852
June 15, 2014
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau,
Bullfrogs trump, mosquitoes troublesome, toads and hylodes cease, and thundershowers. See June 16, 1860 ("It appears to me that these phenomena occur simultaneously, say June 12th :• Heat about. 85° at 2 P.M.• Hylodes cease to peep.• Purring frogs (Rana palustris) cease.• Lightning-bugs first seen.• Bullfrogs trump generally.• Mosquitoes begin to be really troublesome.• Afternoon thunder-showers almost regular.• Sleep with open window.• Turtles fairly and generally begun to lay."
I saw how He fed his fish. See June 2, 1854 ("When we returned to our boat at 7 p. m., I noticed first, to my surprise, that the river was all alive with leaping fish, their heads seen continually darted above water, and they were large fish, too. Looking up I found that the whole atmosphere over the river was full of shad-flies. It was a great flight of ephemera"). June 9, 1854 ("The air is now full of shad-flies, and there is an incessant sound made by the fishes leaping for their evening meal, dimpling the river like large drops as far as I can see..”); June 8, 1856 (“My boat being by chance at the same place where it was in ’54, I noticed a great flight of ephemera”). June 9, 1856 ("Again, about seven, the ephemera came out, in numbers as many as last night, now many of them coupled, even tripled; and the fishes leap as before."); June 11, 1859 ("When I return, about 5 p. m., the shad-flies swarm over the river in considerable numbers, but there are very few at sundown.")
This is the third afternoon that we have had a rumbling thunder-cloud arise in the east, — not to mention the west, — but all signs have failed hitherto. See June 16, 1854 ("Three days in succession, — the 13th, 14th, and 15th, — thunder-clouds, with thunder and lightning, have risen high in the east, threatening instant rain, and yet each time it has failed to reach us.”)
Strawberries in the meadow now ready for the picker. See June 14, 1859 ("Early strawberries begin to be common. The lower leaves of the plant are red, concealing the fruit.”)
A white froth drips from the pitch pines, . . . See June 5, 1856 ("Froth on pitch pine."); June 4, 1854 ("I now notice froth on the pitch and white pines.”).
Suddenly hot weather, - 90° - after very cool days. See June 16, 1860 ("It appears to me that these phenomena occur simultaneously, say June 12th . . .”)
The dry z-ing of the locust is heard. See June 14, 1853 ("Heard the first locust from amid the shrubs by the roadside. He comes with heat.")
Methinks the birds sing a little feebler nowadays. See June 25, 1854 (“Through June the song of the birds is gradually growing fainter.”)
Blue flag abundant. See June 10, 1858 ("Common blue flag, how long?"); June 14, 1853 ("The blue flag (Iris versicolor) grows in this pure water, rising from the stony bottom all around the shores, and is very beautiful, . . . especially its reflections in the water.); June 30,1851 ("The blue flag (Iris versicolor) enlivens the meadow.”)
A regular old-fashioned country house, long and low, one story unpainted, with a broad green field, half orchard See August 26, 1856 ("What is a New England landscape this sunny August day? A weather-painted house and barn, with an orchard by its side, in midst of a sandy field surrounded by green woods, with a small blue lake on one side.”); April 24, 1857 (“Now the sun comes out and shines on the pine hill west of Ball's Hill, lighting up the light-green pitch pines and the sand and russet-brown lichen-clad hill. That is a very New England landscape. Buttrick's yellow farmhouse near by is in harmony with it.")
Black willow is now gone to seed, and its down covers the water.
The year is in its manhood now. See June 11, 1853 ("In the sorrel-fields, also, what lately was the ruddy, rosy cheek of health, now that the sorrel is ripening and dying, has become the tanned and imbrowned cheek of manhood.")
I see fields a mile distant reddened with sorrel. See note to June 12, 1859 ("I am struck with the beauty of the sorrel now.")
I see the fringed purple orchis, unexpectedly beautiful. See note to June 20, 1859 ("Great purple fringed orchis")
June 15, 2013
If you make the least correct
observation of nature this year,
you will have occasion to repeat it
with illustrations the next,
and the season and life itself is prolonged.
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, June 15
A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,
out-of-doors, in its own locality."
~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2022
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