Summer, Beautiful Summer

 

I drove to the mountains hoping to visit butterflies. When I got to the top of the pass there they were, a 1,000 of them fluttering about is not an exaggeration. 

 

They were around puddles sipping water absorbing minerals. I wish I had gotten a photo of the multitudes, yet as I approached they took to the air and fluttered around me. So glimpses is what I have to share.

 

The tiny pond snails are laying their eggs on leaves along the water.

 

lovely Self Heal is blooming, dotting the woods and meadows with their lovely presence. I am also using it in my tea and made a body oil with it. 

 

 

late spring and early summer we have had rains from time to time. Moss plumps up and grows at these times revealing their artful beauty. 

 

Enjoy each day, seasons come and go swiftly and each one holds its own special gifts.  

~

lovely summer to you 

~

*

 

 

Deeper into Spring

 

Thrilled to visit with the lovely Calypso orchids

more commonly called Fairy Slippers

Native stonecrop succulents that slept beneath winter's snow 

have sprung to life in perfection

along with joyous moss

 

 

 tis the season for lovely morels

or should I say yummy morels

make two wishes

one for you

and one for our lovely world

~

*

 

The season of bears and flowers ~

Wandering the woods, breathing with trees, photographing spring treasures, I heard a unique scrambling sound. 

One is wise to take note of sounds while in the wilds of this NW corner of Montana. 

For we live with the critters of fairy tales. 

Looking in the direction of the sound I saw a black bear scurrying up a tall conifer tree, bark flying as she did. 

Oh! 

Since she was kind of far and up a tree I snapped a few photos. 

But really, she got up that tree so fast, she could have gotten to me before I knew what was happening. 

Later I learned that my camera captured her two little cubs! She had sent her cubs to safety and followed after them. 

A good bear encounter!

Each May, when wandering the woods, my eyes scan the forest floor for fairy slippers, the calypso orchid. 

 Absolutely thrilling! 

and

shooting stars

a little past its prime

yet still a thrill to find

the highly sought after morel mushroom

moss is growing

and so beautiful up close!

~

*

 

Honoring Glacier Lilies

we hiked up a boulder strewn canyon

boulders larger by far than us

boulders covered in lichen and moss

when we got to the cliffs above

we were greeted in spring flowers!

lovely glacier lilies

our natural world is sublime

~

*

Celebrating our Earth

we call them Yellow Bells

they grow in prairie land

I live in the forest and mountains

so it is always a journey to see them

some have red rings around them

some do not

on my way to look for flowers

I stopped in a forest

and found this beautiful rock

I am told that copper makes these color

I have been exploring the tiny world of lichen and moss

often raindrops are involved

I noticed that teeny tiny moss had little egg shaped capsules

a new sighting:

a closer glimpse:

our amazing planet

endless intriguing life to explore

enjoy

respect

and 

learn from

~

Happy Earth Day!

(everyday)

~

*

Lichens

here in the NW corner of Montana

flowers are not blooming

but some lichen are looking magical!

these sticks are about 1/4 inch think

my eyes can not see these amazing details

they look more like yellow and green fuzz to me

the earthy sage greens

and

golds are thrilling

cup like saucers intriguing

wood with algae, lichen and perhaps the large leaves are liverworts?

 two hours south of here

I did see my first wildflowers of the year!

 jagged chickweed

all

our meadows 

are lakes at the moment

abundant with water birds

Spring 

is a magical time in the little details

~

if you know what any of the lichen or liverwort are

I would love for you to tell me. 

So much to learn!

~

*

Beauties of the Forest

beauties of the forest floor

mysterious gems that i adore

beckon to me to explore ever more

I find you cuddled in tiny moss

 wet and shiny to the eyes and touch

colors that shimmer in gentle light

texture and caps that inspire delight

~

an autumn flower

dressed in raindrops

there are not many flowers around
with our cold nights and not as many sunny days

~

*

Late Summer Day

I wandered into the mountains the other day

found a rainbow in a waterfall

creek water aqua turquoise

made my heart sing

watched the sunlight mingling with trees

does this green thrill you?

it does me

i listened to the water sing

and dance

visited this lake that sunny day

dinned on late summer huckleberries

watched the sun paint shadows on the enormous mountains

as it began to set

~

it was a good day

may you walk in beauty

~

*