Open Thread – The Walk Back
Happy 4th! I hope you are all enjoying yourselves in the real world, and in this virtual one. Last night we walked down the length of my driveway, enjoying some of the beautiful things to be seen. Tonight, if you’re rested up, we’ll take the trip back. It really is the peak of the season for wildflowers in this neck of the woods. There are a few late bloomers that haven’t come out yet, and we’ve missed a few of the early alpine bloomers on the higher elevations, but for me, this time of year can’t be beat for variety,…
Open Thread – Nature Walk on the Driveway
Before we begin, may I be the first to wish you all a Happy Alaskan Independence Day. Yes, it was on July 3, 2009 that Sarah Palin announced she’d be stepping down from the job that she hated for the good of the state. I thought about writing something up about that, and then decided I’d much rather take a walk and remind myself of the things I like about Alaska, and not the Quitter, nor her successor who is even worse. So, I grabbed my camera and thought I’d take you on a little nature walk with me. Don’t…
The Colors of June! (Politics Free)
I’ve mentioned before what a joy it is in the summer here in Alaska. After months on end where the outside eye sees nothing but white, grey, dark grey, ecru, eggshell, off-white, beige, brown, bright white….(you get the idea), we’ve finally hit the season of color. Mid-June is probably the most colorful of all. I’ve been watching the rose buds swell, waiting for them to bloom, and now, looking out over the wooded hillside near my house, it is speckled with pink as far as the eye can see, as though someone threw confetti. As the eye adjusts, patches of…
Hike Up the Hill (Non-Political!)
This is our first cold, windy, rainy weekend of spring. It reminds me of the entirety of last summer. And the summer before that. But I was able to go out and enjoy one of the warm sunny days earlier in the week. Things are really greening up, but the grasses and leaves are still not mature yet, so it’s easy to see all the little things that will become hidden under the green as summer progresses. Fungi and lichens seem to congregate on particular trees for some reason or another, and are easy to spot and photograph now. The…