The Longest Day

1 this morningAnd about 20 minutes later:

2 this morning 2The weather continues unsettled.  Very little actual rain, but lots of cloud and cold wind.  Last night the sky cleared and the temperature dropped to -5C (that’s about 25F American).  I have not checked to see if all the stuff that has started in my garden has been affected by the frost.

The unsettled weather makes for some very interesting lights on the mountains…

3 early lightPaintings waiting to happen.

4 foggy morningThe hovering coldness has produced sundogs.

3a sundogThe wild flora is rushing ahead.  The pond is lined with a brilliant display of a species of water crowfoot.

5 water crowfootThis species of potentilla is growing beside the river.

6 potentillaChipmunks enjoy flower heads and seeds.

8 chipmunk

The small-flowered penstemon is blooming in the meadows

9 small penstemonbThe showy Davidson’s penstemon  loves gravelly ground.

10 penstemonThe meadowrue is in flower.  Male blooms are on the left, female on the right.

14a male meadowruejpg             14b female meadowrue

The Ball-headed valerian is out.

7 valerian

It never takes long for the leaf miners to start in the aspens.

15 leaf miner 1Within no time, the trees are infested.  It’s a wonder they can still photosynthsize, but they seem to survive.

16 leaf miner 2The wild roses are just starting.

11 wild roseUnderneath this rose bush was a beautiful garter snake.

12 garter snake  What fantastic designs lie on his skin.

13 garter snake 3Juniper is flowering.

14 juniper flowersAnd the other day I saw the first Paintbrush.

14c paintbrushWhen I was at the Gymkhana last weekend, a heavenly scent kept wafting over the bleachers.  It came from the scrubby, silver-leafed wolf willow whose tiny flowers poured out the aroma.

17 wolf willowBeyond the natural hedge of these bushes was a shallow lake.  Typical of this country the nice-looking “beaches” were either very stony or a goopy organic sludge.

19 lakeAmong the stones, silverleaf was growing,

20 silverleafand also a species of buttercup.

21 IMG_8160At the edge of the lake, sheltered by the bushes, some of the rocks boast startling lichen.

22 lichen

 

5 thoughts on “The Longest Day”

  1. I wonder that you get anything done at all with all the breathtaking scenes around you that change constantly with the light conditions. I know I would just be outside looking all the time. Such splendour!

    1. Breathtaking scenery! I love the picture of the chipmunk 🙂
      It’s a sloooow start to summer up our way with night temperatures stuck at just a degree or two above freezing. Oh well, with solstice come and gone, we’re on our way back to winter anyway…
      Nicole recently posted…Wie Legenden entstehenMy Profile

  2. Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h summer. The scents and sights and the warmth. Thank you for sharing all the wildflower pics. Can almost smell the flowers on the screen!

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