Gopher tortoises are often hidden in the tall grasses as they slowly plod through the hot summer days.

The 90-degree-plus June temperature readings have many residents slowing their pace for the explicit purpose of not overheating.

Ask any Santa Rosa County horse owner and they will say their horse has a sweet tooth.

In addition to sugar cubes there are apples, pears and many other fruits with a high sugar content which are attractive to equines everywhere.

In the days before mass-marketing, big box retailing and internet sales, people had to create their own solutions to the wants and needs of daily life.

The results were based on the materials at hand and were often imaginative, but sometimes bordering on the absurd.

The blooms and leaves have confirmed the year’s progress toward the summer. The rising temperatures and lengthening days have been a boon to the birds and animals, too.

The blossoms in Santa Rosa County are popular with insects and arachnids for a variety of reasons. Some insects enjoy the nectar and pollen, using it to great effect.

Going “green” is all the rage these days. Businesses, politicians, public figures and more are promoting their commitment to ecological purity and environmental quality.

In nature there is plenty of green this time of year, especially the chlorophyl-based pigment.

Folk wisdom can, in fact, be amazingly accurate.

Not because of some ancient or secret knowledge, but because it is attributable to generations of observation which has been confirmed time and again over the centuries.

More than one Santa Rosa County homeowner or gardener has noticed the sudden appearance of a hungry pest species eyeing the menu choices at every residence.

Fortunately, nature has a way of equalizing all situations when left to its own devices. With the increase of the plant-eaters comes those insects which restrain their population explosions.

The climb to the top is always a challenge, but it is the goal of many.

The route is never a straight line or simple.