Looking up

Mosaic of some cloud photos taken in June and July.

Stacks of petals

Petals of a pink peony above, and white rose below. Fragrant beauties from my garden. Delicious individually, combined their scent is intoxicating.

Nature has never been silent for me. Nature whispers in my ear all the time, and it is the same thing over and over. It is not "Love." It is not "Worship." It is not "Psst! Dig here!"

Nature whispers, and sometimes shouts, "Beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty."

Sharman Apt Russell
Anatomy of a Rose

Sing, little bird

Red-winged blackbird singing in the swamp at Jack Pine trail.

Butterflies

Can't complain about the weather during the week we spent on the Island. While there were a couple of clear/sunny days, it would often rain for a bit during each day. Not a big problem, especially when walking on the forest trails (all that growth makes for a fantastic umbrella). The one day we had mostly rain we visited indoor places like Butterfly World. Worked well. Actually, the challenge was trying to keep the lens from fogging up due to the sauna-like conditions. ;-)

Finally some rain

It's been a long, hot week. Here's hoping the rain will usher in cooler temps.

Bees and blooms

Some random images taken this morning. Despite the heat, the bees are still busy and the flowers are still blooming.

Mushrooms

Discovered this little clump of mushrooms in the front garden earlier this evening. I think they might be Conocybe albipes.

Garter snakes at Lime Kiln Trail

There were lots of snakes at Lime Kiln today - we counted six. Enjoying the sun, no doubt.