"I have been but little in," said Ninian hastily...

There are many markers of summer, but for me, one of the strongest in this area is the arrival of the catbirds. They've been here for several weeks now, filling out the ranks of the usual suspects, starlings and grackles, robins and sparrows, blue jays and cardinals, crows and morning doves.

I'm sitting outside enjoying the evening air, and there are a pair of red bellied woodpeckers sporting around in the tree on the corner. They seem to be having fun, and it's a pleasure to watch them.

ETA: Another marker of summer is the arrival of fireflies. I noticed ours a couple of nights ago, when I was out walking in the rain. There were several, high up in the trees. I was sitting out on the porch just now, watching the day fade (it's only just gone fully dark), and a few flew past. Lovely. :-)