With good weather finally happening, the garden is really coming to life with new growth and flowers everywhere. Evening light, just before sunset gives all the foliage and blooms a glow you don’t see during the day and I find it irrisistable. One day this week the constant breeze or gusty winds finally quit and I was able to photograph the sights around my house.
This seems like a lot of images for a blog post. There were many more they didn’t make the cut!
If you’re a mountain goat, that is.
In early summer, when the road up to Harts Pass first is drivable, a person can frequently get lucky and see the local mountain goats at a natural salt lick. It is shortly past the scary section of the road when it goes into the trees and just over the steep edge of the downhill side. Sometimes the goats will be on the road. They seem quite familiar and used to the minimal traffic passing by so a car or truck makes a good blind for observation or photography. I’ve only seen them in this season when they are shedding big chunks of fur and looking mangy. There are young ones and the moms tend to keep them away from the cars. Here are a few that I saw today.
Despite a windy morning, Suzanne and I had a nice hike to the top of Patterson Mountain. The calendar says it is summer and yet the wildflowers still look like spring. I was surprised to see so many alliums in bloom. Some areas were carpeted with them. And still there are lots of bitterroot. In addition to wildflowers we saw a pair of Golden Eagles, a Lazuli Bunting and other birds. We are SO lucky to live here!
Bitterroot
Allium and a yellow buckwheat
A tiny daisy, maybe an aster?
Allium and its shadow
A hummingbird visits scarlet gillia to collect nectar with Mount Gardner in the background
This turtle was sunning itself at Patterson Lake last week. The weather has finally begun to be pleasant enough that the turtles are able to get some sun most days.
There is still one more post from the road trip waiting to go online. I hope to finish that today and go on with current work!
All the planning and work is about to come to an end! It’s been hectic around here with all the details and people coming and going and gatherings of friends and family. So much so, I’ve hardly had time for photography. I did remember to take my camera to the rehearsal yesterday and got a few images as we hashed out the details. And today is the grand day!
Carl, the best man, gives his mom a 4wd ride up to the site
Betty stands in for the judge
Betty’s thinking, no Ken, not so much.
Luna considers the possibility of chipmunks
Luna doesn’t seem to be taking this as seriuosly as I’d hoped!
Ken won’t be taking pictures during the ceremony.
One of the wedding photographers
And Gregg volunteered to be the wedding painter!
It will be a glorious day!
My Everyday Photos 