Meteorological Summer

Mountain Laurels Bloom

Mountain laurels finally bloom

Mountain laurel flowers open up and it happens around late may to early june. They come in both pink and white. The flowers die off quickly by July.

Newly bloomed pink mountain laurels Warm early summer white mountain laurel cluster Pink mountain laurel bush during late May White mountain laurels on velvety leaves

Mountain laurels have velvety leaves and the plant itself can sometimes reach 15 feet tall.

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Meteorological Summer

Man made swamp collects water

Meteorological summer begins on the first day of June. This past June in 2025 has been abnormal at best for New Jersey—Rainier and cooler than almost all other Junes.

Cedar pond on rainy afternoon
The original source of all cedar irrigation
Tranquil mid-forest pond side
The tranquility of a mid-forest pond side
Water distribution
Water distribution

A late spring/early summer afternoon with many warm showers. For the cedar irrigation reservoir, the horizon itself is on the other side of the lake.

Rainy afternoon cedar swamp Rainy afternoon cedar swamp Surrounding swamp Surrounding swamp

With some life left on the left side, the remains are just a scar of a forest that used to exist. Now it is just a collection of dead, yet still standing.