August 29, 2013 - Late Summer Vegetable Blossoms

Pumpkin

Armenian cucumber

Tomatillo

 

Jalapeno

Cucumber

Watermelon

Tomato

 

Asparagus

Today I spent some time looking at what was still blooming in the vegetable garden.  The squash and pumpkin blooms were bright, huge, and healthy.  All of the nightshade family (tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers) were still in bloom.  And the vining plants - the cukes and melons, had lots of blossoms.  But what especially caught my attention were the delicate blossoms of the asparagus.  I don't think I've ever taken the time to notice them before.  The bright red berries I've seen regularly - but I've never looked at the blooms themselves.  Tiny, delicate, with just barely a hint of color - they're easy to overlook, but worth noticing.

 

Which of course sets me to wondering what else I may have not noticed that's been right under my nose.  Another part of the reason for this year of exploration!

August 28, 2013 - A Few Surprises

Pelicans feeding bring in the gulls and cormorants

 

Clematis still in bloom

Haven't seen many preying mantis this year

Small toad sitting on large chard leaf

The garden in late summer

I had great fun watching the pelicans this morning.  There were quite a number of them, churning up the water as they fed.  And the cormorants and gulls kept flying in and out of the melee, hoping to find something for themselves.  Unfortunately, it's a considerable distance to where the pelicans were.  I can see them clearly with my spotting scope, but my long lens doesn't have the power it needs to bring them in close.

 

The toad was the other amazing find.  He has different coloration from most of the toads in my garden, and was quite small.  I ran into him accidentally while cutting basil for a friend.  That uncovered his hiding place.  Hopefully he will stay in the vicinity, and continue eating insects.  The same for the mantis - munch those bugs!  (I wish either one was large enough to eat snails...)

August 27, 2013 - Early One Morning

Morning river reflections

A sulfur, perhaps?

How close will it let me get?

This close!

Fresh mallow blossoms

This morning I got out into the garden a bit earlier than usual.  There were butterflies everywhere...mostly the white ones we have so many of, that contribute to the munching of some of my ornamentals.  But I also saw the sulfur shown above, a couple of swallowtails (also yellow) and one skipper.  None stayed in one place - most flitted over the neighbors' fence, and on from there.

 

Despite, or perhaps because, of the enjoyment of these early morning riches, my focus today was less on my environment than on the people that surround me.  I got a couple of phone calls, took a number of texts, and had coffee with a friend I haven't seen for quite a while.  I am overdue for cleaning the house, so got a good deal of that done, and while doing so, found myself in prayer for a number of people...and offering thanks for a number of people.  I prefer not to include photos of individuals in this blog - I like to preserve privacy for others.  But I don't want to neglect to mention the wonderful gift of all the people in my life - my friends, the congregation with whom I worship, my family, my covenant group, all those I hold dear.  They are, most especially, a thing of beauty.

August 26, 2013 - The Day After the Storm

Blue skies

Fresh roses

Rinsed off tomatoes

Quiet river reflections

The day after a lightning storm, with lots of wind and rain, always leads to a fresher garden.  It's as if everything had been well rinsed, freshened up, and plumped up a bit.  Of course, not everything took to the storm.  My corn is partially blown over, and I lost a few rose canes, too.  But all in all, it's a fair trade.  And everything smells fresh.  There are scents in the garden I rarely notice - but today, they were obvious.  And I don't know how the hummingbirds felt about the storm, but they were in the garden today, hovering just a few feet away from me, then arguing with one another.  (They're quite territorial.)

 

Another month or two of harvest, then the garden will be put away again for the year.  I always enjoy the break - but oh! how I will miss the fresh produce!  That is worth every hour I spend out there...and as most of my veggies grow in raised beds, it's reasonably easy work, as well.  There will be lots to give away this year - tomatoes, peppers, cukes, squash, pumpkins, maybe a few melons.  I grow in large quantities, at least to some degree, simply for the joy of sharing it all with others.  Blessings received are doubly joyous when they are passed along to others.

August 25, 2013 - Storm Watching

Thunderstorm forming

There was lots of lightning

across our field of vision

and this strike even started a fire...which the rain promptly extinguished.

My husband and I have enjoyed watching thunderstorms for years.  Living in the Pacific Northwest, we get little opportunity for viewing, though this year has had more activity than most.  But the storm this evening was quite dramatic.  Lots of strikes, including two that started small range fires, lots of thunder, lots of wind, and thankfully, lots of rain right on the heels of the lightning.  We stayed out on the front deck as long as we could, but soon the rain was blowing in, as far as the sliding door.  So we retreated inside, and watched from the living room.  I'm thinking there will be fewer cobwebs to brush off the house tomorrow...though our spiders are an industrious lot, and won't take long to begin new webs.

 

I have always enjoyed weather...as long as I have had a safe, warm place to retreat to.  I recall one violent storm while I was tent camping, and a thundersnow while traveling.  (We ended up snowbound on that one.)  The experiences may not have been the best while occurring...but somehow, they are still etched on my brain as positive things, and certainly worthy of a few tales.  So, tonight, thankfulness for safety and dryness, but most of all, an appreciation for the wonder of the weather, and the freshness that comes after the storm.

August 23, 2013 - An Early Report

Monarch butterfly

Sulfur butterfly

Large flowered mallow

Hibiscus and wasp

A portion of today's harvest

It's going to be a very busy evening, so I thought I'd get my photos taken and uploaded early.  And...I have a photo of a monarch!  The second one I've seen in my garden, and the first I've been able to photograph.  I hope that's a trend that continues.

 

Can you tell that the mallow and the hibiscus are related?  To my mind, they're the same flower.  I'm really not quite sure what differentiates them from one another.  And both are related to the native globe mallow (bright orange) that's blooming out back in the desert area.

 

Ah, the harvest begins in earnest!  This is just a small portion of what's on the bushes.  I'll get at least two batches of salsa made today...maybe a third...and then will begin giving away tomatoes, peppers, cukes, jalapenos, etc. to the local food bank.  It's a very good thing to be able to give away the bounty to someone who needs it more than I do.  And there is always so much.  God is a generous giver - now to pattern my own life after the life of God.

August 21, 2013 - This Evening in the Garden

English rose

Tomato harvest is here

Butterfly bush - Black Knight

Moth on daylily leaves

Bumblebee on blanketflower

Sunset

I went outside around 7:30 this evening to see what I could find in the garden.  I saw a sphinx moth, also known as the hummingbird moth, also known as the moth that produces the tomato hornworm...but it wouldn't sit still for a portrait.  It was a bit cloudy, which made it much easier for me to spot small flying insects...but not to catch up with them.  The exceptions are seen above...and of course, there were lots of bees around, too, of various kinds.

 

The roses are actually in between blooms, for the most part, but a few still have lovely flowers.  The tomatoes get picked tomorrow and made into salsa.  And I just finished canning 17 pints of pickled jalapeno peppers.  (Say it three times fast!)  I do look forward to this time of year, when so much of the garden ends up in either the pantry or the freezer.  And, it's getting close to time for fall blooms, which are bigger, last longer, and tend to be more fragrant than those that are toughing it through our hot summers.

 

The sunsets continue to be vivid, unfortunately thanks to our wildfires.  There isn't anything at the moment close by...I don't think...my husband just got paged out to work, so that could mean a wild fire.  I'll know when I know, but there's nothing on the news, as of yet.  Meanwhile, prayers for those affected by fire, thankfulness for the renewal it brings (when it doesn't burn down houses), and appreciation for the beauty of the sunsets.

August 20, 2013 - A Day for Description

Today there are no photos - just my musings on those things I've enjoyed today.  While on a lengthy phone conversation, I spent a good deal of time looking out my office window, which overlooks the Columbia River.  This helps me focus, keeps me centered, and keeps me "in the moment".  I saw an osprey riding the thermals in circles above the house.  Then, a doe bounded by, right in the middle of the day, right across the street!  That was quite a surprise, and definitely delightful.  Then there were the pelicans.  Three that glided in across the river, low and close to the surface, especially caught my attention.

Out in the garden there are goldfinches aplenty, feasting on the sunflowers.  A hummingbird flew by this a.m., and then a kingfisher hit the kitchen window.  It sat stunned for a few moments.  As I walked over to check on it, it gathered up its wits, and flew off rapidly, hopefully not much worse for the wear.

The garden itself is in major production mode.  I took off over two gallons of jalapenos, and have picked less than half of what's there.  I brought in another sack full of cucumbers (there are now three in the fridge) and the new batch of corn is just on the edge of being ready to pick.  I finished weeding the vegetable garden today.  Tomorrow is for pickling jalapenos, then getting started on my salsa for the year.  I'll hold off on the green salsa for a week or so, if I can...the cilantro is just starting to come up with some degree of enthusiasm again, and I do prefer to use as much directly from the garden as I can.

Yep, beautiful tastes matter, too...and there's nothing like homemade salsa, home pickled jalapenos and green beans, home frozen corn, and lots of frozen tomato sauce.  We keep summer going all through the winter that way!

August 19, 2013 - Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

Damselfly

White butterfly

Blue butterfly...tiny...can you spot it?

Garden spider, weaving her orb

Sunset

There is still a lot happening here at home.  The garden is producing like mad...I must have brought in 10 pounds of cucumbers today, and gave away a basketful of basil to a friend.  The tomatoes and peppers are ready for salsa, and the jalapenos are so thick I doubt I'll be able to use them all myself.  Then there are the other critters I share this space with...

 

The blue butterfly is the first one I remember seeing in this area.  It was tiny - probably no more than 1/2 inch across - and quite flighty.  The white butterflies are everywhere, and are occasionally joined by a swallowtail.  Damselflies are also everywhere - they're little carnivores, so can be doing my garden nothing but good.  Then there are the spiders.  The garden spiders get huge this time of year, and seem to spin new webs almost daily.  It's fun to watch them at that task - even for someone who is arachnophobic, as I am!

 

Finally, at the close of the day, it cools a bit, the sky brightens with color, and each day, the sun sets just a bit further to the south.  Before long I'll be able to watch the sunset without having to get out of my chair on the deck.  That means autumn is on the way.  But for now, I continue to celebrate the bounty of summer.

August 18, 2013 - The Mountain

Gray Jay

Mountain bog gentian

Bird-beak lousewort

Flower fields in late summer

Mt Rainier, near Observation Point

Pasque flower

Across the valley to Mt. Adams

Buck in velvet

Today we took a day trip to "The Mountain", known to those outside Washington State as Mt. Rainier.  The Mountain played peek-a-boo with us most of day, showing up most clearly around sunset, when we were already scores of miles away.

 

But...this trip was about the flowers, not so much about the mountain, though it was wonderful to be back there again.  We were a little past peak flower time, but even managed to find a handful of late-blooming avalanche lilies along one bank.  It was a beautifully clear day, with minimal haze, giving us great views as far as Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens.  And even if we were late for peak bloom, the lupine and paintbrush and American bistort alone would have kept me smiling!  There was lots of monkeyflower, both pink and yellow, a fair amount of several kinds of lousewort (which deserves a nicer name!), heather in bloom at higher elevations, lots of asters, and several flowers I didn't recognize at all.

 

We hiked about six miles.  I found the paved trails, followed by trails with lots of steps, to be particularly difficult.  Thank goodness for the beauty along the way!  That made each step worthwhile.  Oh...and I saw several fritillary butterflies.  I'm beginning to recognize different types, if not the specific species.  It's enjoyable to have a new "learning edge" on things to watch.