And about 20 minutes later:
The weather continues unsettled. Very little actual rain, but lots of cloud and cold wind. Last night the sky cleared and the temperature dropped to -5C (that’s about 25F American). I have not checked to see if all the stuff that has started in my garden has been affected by the frost.
The unsettled weather makes for some very interesting lights on the mountains…
Paintings waiting to happen.
The hovering coldness has produced sundogs.
The wild flora is rushing ahead. The pond is lined with a brilliant display of a species of water crowfoot.
This species of potentilla is growing beside the river.
Chipmunks enjoy flower heads and seeds.
The small-flowered penstemon is blooming in the meadows
The showy Davidson’s penstemon loves gravelly ground.
The meadowrue is in flower. Male blooms are on the left, female on the right.
The Ball-headed valerian is out.
It never takes long for the leaf miners to start in the aspens.
Within no time, the trees are infested. It’s a wonder they can still photosynthsize, but they seem to survive.
The wild roses are just starting.
Underneath this rose bush was a beautiful garter snake.
What fantastic designs lie on his skin.
Juniper is flowering.
And the other day I saw the first Paintbrush.
When I was at the Gymkhana last weekend, a heavenly scent kept wafting over the bleachers. It came from the scrubby, silver-leafed wolf willow whose tiny flowers poured out the aroma.
Beyond the natural hedge of these bushes was a shallow lake. Typical of this country the nice-looking “beaches” were either very stony or a goopy organic sludge.
Among the stones, silverleaf was growing,
and also a species of buttercup.
At the edge of the lake, sheltered by the bushes, some of the rocks boast startling lichen.
