Little Visitors

My husband snapped these two photos on his way back into the house...that's why the angle of the second one is a bit strange.

Four little raccoon babies, but not out on their own.  Their mom was at the bottom of the tree, telling my husband to mind his own business...so he did, and didn't get a photo of her.  Probably a wise choice.

Faeries Friday

"The Rose Fairy" by Cicely Mary Barker.

A Tiny Benefit

Hydrangeas are blooming outside the back door.  We never used to be able to grow hydrangeas up here; it's only been the past five years that the plants have been able to survive the winters.  I guess that's a tiny benefit of Climate Change but, honestly, I'd rather have the forest the way it used to be, full of healthy, huge trees, full to overflowing lakes and clear, cold fast running streams.  Hydrangeas are nice, but they don't make up for all that's been lost.

Wordless Wednesday - Distance

Uh Oh...

Cherries ripening on the bough...

And there would have been a photo of hydrangeas blooming, but Blogger is behaving badly!

A Quote for Monday

 "The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look on their face whether they see a moth or an axe murderer."  Paula Poundstone

Yesterday...

What is being called the "Lake Fire" started just outside the San Gorgonio Wilderness in the San Bernardino National Forest where I live.  It's now burning in the Wilderness.

It spread rapidly - everything is so dry up here.  200 people have been evacuated from campgrounds.  I wish there were some way to evacuate the animals.

It's burned nearly 10,000 acres so far.  Cal Fire is saying it will jump to 50,000 acres by tomorrow. (Update: it's only grown by 1,000 acres, thank goodness, and the winds are calmer). Air tankers and helicopters are temporarily grounded because of winds.  It's only 5% contained but, so far, it's burning away from our homes and little towns up here.  If you've got any to spare, thoughts and prayers for safety for the animals and firefighters, and calm winds so the tankers and helicopters can get back in the air would sure be appreciated.

(These aren't my photos, they're from various news websites).

Words on Wednesday

"A sense of beauty is the gift of God, for which those who have received it in good measure, can never be thankful enough."  Gertrude Jekyll

Lake Gregory

Last week at Lake Gregory ~

 

clouds, ducks ~

and some roses that wouldn't stop dancing with the wind.

Blooming Now

Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)!  There aren't as many blossoms as in years past, but I'm surprised and grateful to see even a few blossoms. 

The berries they make won't ripen until around August or September, but they're forming already. 

This is what they look like when they're ripe, or nearly ripe.  Unlike raspberries, thimbleberries don't really have a flavor, just a mild sweetness.  The birds, raccoons, skunks, deer, bears and bunnies love them, but the squirrels and chipmunks take a pass...like I do.  Although jam can be made from them, I leave them for the dear folks previously mentioned.

Pfooling Around with Photos...

A lovely bouquet of roses...

Hmmm...

Oh, dear...

OMG!  And, not in a good way...

Already?

This year is speeding by so fast!  The boats are back on the lakes up here and the summer people are flooding the stores.  It's not as crowded yet as it will be after school lets out later this month, but it's getting there.  Sheesh, where do all these people come from?