Twins

I saw these cute twins today. First time I've seen two fawns together. What a treat!

Golden

Last night we had a golden sunset. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Still Standing

You've seen this ... a barn or shed that is defying gravity. The wind blows, the rain falls, and yet the shed stands. I've always wondered about the stories this shed could tell. If only I could read between the planks and decipher why?

Wildflower Log for July

The wildflowers are blooming like crazy. My front yard is a delightful mix of colors ranging from white to pink to lavender to yellow. Where to begin.

 The asters arrived on the 10th of July, so fall will arrive on time this year. Last year the asters appeared the last day of June, and we had an early fall.

The Indian Paintbrush are still blooming. As the summer progresses, the burnt orange bloom gets longer. As an aside, for several years, the flower was renamed "Wyoming Paintbrush" but last year, the name was changed back to the original. 

The lupines are going to seed. If you look at the picture, you will see tiny pods, which will burst open in a couple of weeks and spread their tiny pea-type seeds for next year.

The 3 spot lily just appeared. It's a delicate shade of lavender with 3 dark purple spots. I love this little flower.

The tiny harebells are "ringing" in the background looking ever so graceful and delicate.

While the salsify is making a bold statement getting ready to parachute seeds for next year. 

RV Steps

Last year I bought a set of RV steps from a couple who were leaving our park. They were only $15, and I thought it was going to be a good deal. The steps sat outside during the winter and by the time we started to work on them this summer, they were a little worse for wear. Winter in Wyoming is not easy.

That's when I discovered that the steps needed to be modified to fit our trailer. We modified the steps to fit our RV. We scraped off a ton of flaking and peeling paint, primed it, and painted it to match the trailer.

It's a good addition to the trailer. 

Natural Lattice

At first glance, this looks like a bunch of trees by a fence...but look closely

The trees are entwined with the fence slats, making a natural lattice. 

Bambi

Finally — I saw a fawn today...the first one of the season for me. The other DrC saw one the other day. This little critter was in the backyard where the young bucks have been hanging out. Today the bucks were gone but Bambi showed up. Bambi is a welcome visitor.

Hiding

Can you see one of “my boys” hiding in the woods? This picture is the closest I’ve been able to get to any of the 4 bucks that are visiting my home this summer. From what I can see, the four of them are not doing much during the day but laying around the outside of my house. They have several places they go to and as soon as they think there is any danger from one of them,  they move to another one. It’s been interesting to watch their antlers grow a bit more each day.

Classic

We saw this beauty on the 4th of July...a classic Thunderbird of the early years. I was convinced it was a 1956 but Eddie thought it was a 1955. We inspected it and came to the conclusion that indeed it was a 1956. Then we looked in the back window and saw a sign resting on the catch-all...it’s a 1957. This car is 62 years old and she is still wonderful. Our only concern was the color...neither of us remember celery and white Thunderbirds. I’m guessing Ford did not make a lot of this color.

Morning Dew

Sometimes when there are low level clouds in the valley

we’ll have a major dewfall. The daisies were incredible

along with the sticky geraniums.

\

This geranium is a close relative to the houseplant, unlike the Bicknell geranium I posted the other day.

Independence Day Idaho Falls Style

Yesterday we marked a milestone...the 51st anniversary of our first date. And to celebrate we drove to Idaho Falls to view the 3rd largest fireworks display in the nation. What an event! Folks from the Rocky Mountain states flood into town to watch the spectacle. IF (as it’s called) is ready for the crowds and while it a good party, it’s very orderly.

Every year, Idaho Falls tries to create a better display than they created the year before. This year was no exception. The colors, the booms, the whole atmosphere was a celebration of America. It was a special treat. (Click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

I took over 150 pictures, but I will not display them all. Here are 2 collages showing how we celebrated our anniversary and the 243rd birthday of the United States of America!

Of Flax, Poppies and Wild Geraniums

There are 3 beautiful blooms out right now; two are wild and one is not. Two are quiet and one is loud. The first is flax. The delicate bluish-purple petals of this wildflower always gaze at the sun, When the flax is blooming, summer has definitely arrived.

The second is a domesticated poppy. It is a huge flower with brilliant red petals and a vibrant black center. 

 The poppies fill our little world with bright raucous color. Over the years, this hearty garden flower has spread it’s seeds to decorate all aspects of the landscape.

The last flower of the week is the Bicknell or wild geranium. It’s a soft pink flower that blooms only at the beginning of summer. There is rarely more than one flower on the bush. It is not the geranium you see in window flower boxes. It’s pale, not loud, and rare.

I’ve seen only 3 wild geraniums this summer. Unlike flax and poppies, these are illusive blooms.