These Are the Butterfly Days of June

June is probably my favorite month of summer. The mornings are still cool, but the afternoons get sunny and warm. The days are long, so long. Finally, enough time for everything under the sun. These are the summer days you remember from childhood.

The swimming areas opened in all of the state parks within the past few weeks, and my husband and I go swimming every chance we get. Here is the status report. Whipple Dam is low-key and wild, as always. The lake temperature at Greenwood Furnace is like ice. The water at Bald Eagle is comfortable for swimming, and as clean as it'll ever be.

This day's adventures took place at Bald Eagle State Park. (There's another photo in the extras.) There were family reunions and picnics. Small boats moved around on the lake. Children played along the water. Someone had built sand castles on the shore. Everything seemed peaceful and lovely, like a summer dream.

When I walked on the beach, preparing to go in swimming, I spotted several tiger swallowtails on the sand. I laughed as I thought about busting them for "attempted puddling," for of course, that's what they wanted to do, but there were only two of them. A pretty small puddle, fellas. :-) But nice to see, regardless.

Come on in, the days are long and the water's fine. For these are the butterfly days of June. The song: Bob McBride, with Butterfly Days.