…but oh, the raindrops left behind are beautiful!
The squalls that were only rumbles of thunder and dark clouds at my house, must have rained plenty in Bigfork. This photo from Wayfarer’s park when Karl and I walked this morning: Pointed Mariposa and Indian Paintbrush. (Double-click this one – so gorgeous full screen!)
At home today, a repeat of yesterday, but today’s fun DID include rain. Green continues in yards, pastures and on the mountainsides :)!
All afternoon the thunder has been rumbling, the sky darkening, then brilliant sunshine and repeat. With the last of the group work sessions complete and a thunderstorm warning issued by NOAA, I jumped in the Jeep to see how things looked outside of my woods.
Things looked a bit dark over the road home. Thunder continued but I saw no lightening.
Bob and I wait and watch from the front porch. The beardog does not like thunder – he is in the closet with a DVD playing for comfort.
Summer normally comes in fits and spurts to Northwest Montana. Warm and even hot days in March, April and May are interspersed with blizzards, snow squalls and rain. June typically is cool and rainy and an early June snowstorm is definitely NOT unheard of.
So far, June 2010 has skipped a snowstorm … in the valley. But on the eve of the Summer Solstice we had:
76F sunshine and blue sky
dark clouds giving way to wind…
marble sized hail….
torrential downpour with the temperature dropping into the 50’s in half an hour…
lighting with accompanying thunder that rattled the windows…
The first day of summer dawned less than clear and stayed that way – a rainy day that had me finally starting a fire in the woodstove late afternoon. And given that it was the first day of summer and a fire was roaring…I decided that sipping whiskey was in order and made a dash to Bigfork for some Old Overholt (Rye whiskey).
But before the Rye, a respite in the rain and a possible bear, necessitated a walk.
The air was sniffed…
The beardog was on full alert.
No bear was found.
The whiskey was sipped…on the front porch as even at a damp 50 something F, a fire in the woodstove heated up the little house in the woods to over-warmish…
First day of Summer 2010: Northwest MT.
Honey Bee on a lupin….workin’ it :)!
Friday evening, after an extra long work day, Karl and I went to Wayfarer’s for a “clear the cobwebs” walk, picking up burgers and fries on the way home. The rain – sun – rain cycle we’ve been in has spurred the green growth in yards, fields and woods. The most recent rain left a fresh bit of snow on the mountain tops. The road home had a “fill my heart” beauty to it – almost Summer.
Photo taken June 18, 2010 7:15 p.m.
Karl and I have been hitting the long loop walk at Wayfarer’s Park early morning. Sunrise is just after 5:30 a.m. this time of year so by 8:00 a.m. it is already getting warm. It is a 25 minute amble from near the highway, up and along a ridge above the lake and back down through the woods completing a circle.
The lupins as well as choke cherries, ferns and ivy are thick along the path. But this year, the lupins are the standout and they have been in full color for nearly 2 weeks. We occasionally pass visitors who are camping in the park and they ask if it is always like this.
Often enough to always make me glad I live here!
Photos taken from Wayfarer’s Park, Bigfork, MT June 12, 2010