Now blooming

The news is grim, but in Plummer’s Hollow, the enchanter’s nightshade is still blooming, the wood nettle and horsebalm are just coming into bloom, and the black cohosh is at its height. And there are insects. Many, many insects. It’s worth remembering that 99 percent of them — by species, if not absolute numbers — have no interest in us, and are just out there living their best lives and performing no doubt essential functions in an ecosystem more complex and intricate than anyone will ever understand.