With an increase in latitude and the occasional rainy day, I had imagined that my cyclist’s tan might begin to fade. That peculiar tan — the very short sleeves but very long shorts, the edges made starker by elastic; the high collar with the plunging neckline; and for the hairless, the topping of Klingon stripes left by the helmet. But neither time nor high-octane sunscreen shows much effect. Fortunately I am seldom called upon to appear in bathing attire, and then it’s usually with a drysuit as well.

Another surprise: the blackberries bloomed really early, but then we waited and waited for the bumblebees to arrive to pollinate them. I’m not sure I’ve found two dozen of the burly bees the whole summer, and those from only two of the four species that we used to see regularly. By some miracle there was a big crop of blackberries anyway — plus the best thimbleberries ever. I don’t know how to account for this, but I sure would like to see the bees again.