Humid Green Jungle

Been ten days or more since I've been into the Woods. Over that time our wet spring/ summer has continued with another 1.5 inches of rain. I went to the northern boundary fence of the Woods to set traps for wood boring beetles: rotten beer (beer, brown sugar, and peaches fermented for a week) in baby food jars hung in Lindgren funnel traps along the fence. I found one active Polistes nest in one trap. This is always a bit dicey. The adults flew out and I removed the nest from its perch on the underside of the top.
After setting four traps along the fence and one on Pipeline trail, I walked along the Tree Loop from the NE entrance. It was thick wonderful humidity and green growing everywhere. Most of the tall trail-side grasses had declined and now the Symphoricarpos indian currant and Acer negundo boxelder were the dominants encroaching at knee high along the trail. The Woods looked great. It had the feel of a place at rest.. no student projects.. few visitors.. good rain and warmth.. time for the life there to grow and build in resources against the dry hotter times in the future.
At the top of Hackberry Alley I found a box turtle by a substantial hackberry top broken and blocking the trail. I'll need a saw to clear it. A few mosquitoes were buzzing about.. not bad.
The East Pond was about 2.6 (no binocs to read the post precisely). There was water filling the Wash through most of its length.. but not flowing. Island Crossing was dry below the deep pool.
Lots of deer tracks. One tick. Cottonwood cotton all over the East pond. Orange trumpet vine blooming along the Chautauqua west fence. Pair of bright green Cicindela sexguttata tiger beetles at the gate and two or three more scattered elsewhere along the trail. No deer spotted but tracks along all the trails in the soft soil. This is likely the middle of the best season of growth for the Woods.. the best growth in three years or more.