happy solstice, happy molting

during the second molt, waterfowl go through a complete molt and replace all flight feathers. adult canada geese undergo this complete molt during the summer months, usually in late june and early july. this complete molt usually takes about a month for each individual bird. here’s hoping foxes are few for the next 30 days, friends. looking forward to watching those flight feathers in action overhead this fall. take care.

canada goose wing feathers

it’s a fine line

peonies are in blossom everywhere. everywhere except my yard that is. we have too much shade. so, it is taking all of my will power and then some not to steal a blossom or two of this favorite flower from someone’s side yard, where they are spilling over with such heavy profusion that the owners couldn’t possibly miss one blossom. or maybe two. i would never do that of course. it would be against the rules of neighborliness and decorum. although i do pride myself on being something of a rule breaker. but regardless, i would never do that. never, as in, like, almost 100 percent never.

peony bud and blossom

social media at its collaborative best

i recently posted some lupine photos to instagram. there were eight of them or so, and through an inadvertent session of crowdsourcing, the popular favorite, by a landslide, was an arrangement of lupine leaves, without flowers, which people loved, and decided they would like to see as wallhangings, wrapping paper, and possibly wallpaper. so i took a step deeper into the world of lupine leaves, and look at what emerged. thank you to everyone who cared to be an instagram art critic, and a STILL blog inspiration. three cheek kisses to all of you.

lupine leaf repeat

you give what you have

this composition of dried golden bits of nature is not very summery, except for the fact that minnesotans clean their basements in the summer, and when i clean my basement, i do not haul up winter boots, old hoodie sweatshirts, and worn out power tools, but, as it happens, dried golden bits of nature.

deconstructed lupine

our son is on a two week camping trip and i get to date my husband for a little while. I feel equally unsettled about not being the supervisor of our precious charge, and happily energized about a schedule dictated by my creative urges and the occasional sneak to an impromptu dinner, rather than by soccer practice and shopping malls. today I found a playmate in lupine, and we spend a delightful couple of hours together.

wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)