Dave Mance III, Author at Vermont Almanac

Most wild plants can be encountered on an every-day walk, but usually not showy ladies slippers. The time is now for a pilgrimage, to a place where they are in masses among lesser – but also beautiful – bog plants.

June 30, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

The green frog eggs laid at the warm edges of our pond hatched in about three days and the tiny tadpoles are nowhere to be seen.

June 29, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

Side Hill Cider Mill

June 28, 2020 in Dispatches, June, Virginia Barlow /by Dave Mance III

Apple Balsamic Vinegar of Vermont hit the shelves just last fall. Made by Side Hill Cider Mill in Vershire, it’s a highly unusual product. Neil Hochstedler, the owner, has found only two other producers – one in Ireland and a small company in Massachusetts. He said his idea “seemed like a natural and logical” extension […]

Hummingbirds can distinguish many more colors than humans. Not just ultraviolet, but ultraviolet+green, ultraviolet+red, and ultraviolet+yellow. Researchers spent three summers deploying sugar of various hues to discover this. We are “color-blind compared to birds” according to one of the scientists. And, according to me, it’s good to clean out the hummingbird feeder before it gets moldy.

June 27, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

Unlike many of us humans, rattlesnakes like it hot, especially the females. When pregnant, a female’s body temperature is 6 to 8 degrees C higher than normal, which enables the embryos to develop.

June 26, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

A friend and I were trying to decide which birds were the most aggressive at the birdfeeder and we concluded that they all were pretty feisty, from the mourning doves right down to the hummingbirds.

June 25, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

Trout Fishing in Vermont

June 24, 2020 in Dave Mance III, June /by Dave Mance III

Many outdoor pursuits, were they analogized to the written arts, would read like essays or newspaper columns. Trout fishing season on the other hand – all two hundred something days of it – is a full-fledged epic novel. This pretend book – let’s call it “Trout Fishing in Vermont” – has a sprawling, Russian feel, […]

Burlington had never seen more than 4 straight days of 90 degree heat in June. Yesterday was the 5th straight day. Today will be the sixth.

June 23, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

The white pine needle damage you’re seeing is caused by a fungal pathogen complex, and its severity is linked to weather conditions from a year ago. Perhaps the dry June will lessen the severity of next year’s outbreak.

June 22, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

Yesterday’s thunderstorm brought an inch of rain to the village about 2 miles from here and just a fleeting dampness here. An unwelcome but not unfamiliar occurrence.

June 21, 2020 in Ginny's Calendar, June /by Dave Mance III

About Dave Mance III

Entries by Dave Mance III