It is the last day of another heatwave.  The temperature reached plus 32C yesterday but we are supposed to have thunderstorms and cooling weather tomorrow.  Already high thin cloud is building up, which, with the haze of smoke that has been hanging around these last days, makes distance photography rather uninteresting.

However, I could enjoy the strange caligraphy of the dunes.  Like the snow, the sand isolates its components, which form interesting vignettes.

Horsetails (it amazes me that a plant normally liking wet ground should thrive on these sandhills)

Dead pine

Another pine that is, amazingly, still living.  I call it the spider tree.

Kinnikinnick had fruited copiously

The dead twigs often made circles.

So did this species of grass

The bones of some tiny creature.

But about 2 km along the top, I had a big surprise.  In many places, the dunes drop away down to the river.

The dogs were excited about something here, but it was a squirrel yap rather than a bear bark so I was not taking much notice.  But they were running on the scree and stones were cascading down.  Then, right at the top of the cliff, I was absolutely astounded to see a mountain goat.  (You can just make it out in the picture above if you know where to look.)

They are common enough in the mountains around Nuk Tessli, and I have seen them lower down in winter, but to have one here at this time of year is amazing.

He was stamping his feet at the dogs.  (The dogs couldn’t get anywhere near him.)

It was difficult to call the dogs off and I could not get away quickly. The only route was to pick a way back over the top of the bluff.  I knew the dogs would follow as soon as I drew away.   I could hear the goat pounding the ground.  I hoped he would not pound his precarious perch down the slope.

They really are odd looking animals.