Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: cohan on July 23, 2020, 08:05:33 PM
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I thought I'd try something a little different here-- lots of photos, of course, but some poetry as well. Not just strict plant information, but some moments and days that had a particular feeling for me which I might try to capture with the camera, but also words, musings, verse, forays into mythology (as a way to relate to and integrate with the natural world- in particular the Latvian heritage of my mother's family-- though they certainly never spoke about any of this old pre-Christian stuff ;) ).
Photos will be from my garden, from wild areas on the acreage, on the farm and roadsides outside the acreage-- and maybe, it if fits, stuff from brief sojourns in town and elsewhere, maybe even photos from the passenger seat...
I'll often have related content posted on my blogger site, but there there may be more content on the mythology and other blabber, and I will use a different set of photos here, with plant info added.
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First set is from a warm and humid day a while back, a day of buzzing, redolent air, a riot of green and flowers and the hint of storms.... (that day had only modest thunderstorms and showers later on-- last night and this morning after a couple of days in the mid-20's, probably nearer 30 in sunny confined spots in the afternoon, with humidity in the 60-100% range, we had a darmatic lightning show last night, hours of thunder and rain, and hours again this morning.... a bit of sun late morning, darkening again now at 1pm.....)..
On a warm summer day with cooler air to come,
Gausu Mate, Mother of Slowness and Laziness, holds temporary sway
while her siblings jostle carelessly for supremacy.
Moist heavy air rises from soil and transpires from leaves,
carrying scents of wild rose, swathes of clover and a thousand other flowers
in garden, lawn and thickets and meadows all around.
Great Mother herself, Mara, urges the small ones, shimmying bees and droning flies,
to hasten their work in the blossoms while Saule yet shines down.
Lapu Mate, Leaf Mother, leads the swirling chatter of anxious poplars and murmurs of staid spruce
in the breeze and gust of passing clouds,
Lietus Mate, Rain Mother, dances high above, weaving in and out of storms drifting from the foothills
and Thunder Brother, Perkuns, rumbles uncommittedly in the patchwork sky.
more photos, and thoughts on Animism/Nature Spirits at the link
https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/07/ive-been-enjoying-exploring-ancient.html
1-native Erigeron philadelphicus etc in a slightly overgrown garden area ;)
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2-native Halenia deflexa these grow in various places on the acreage, I usually mow around some patches, but with this year's lawn mower issues, delayed mowing in many spots, and rain rain rain, they are all over the place :)
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3- Oxyria digyna in the rock garden, with a sea of Saussurea riederi sweeping in from behind... the time for some serious control of that species is growing near ;) I probably need to situate some in a fend for yourself meadow type of setting with some other robust species..
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4- Platanthera- I've shamefully yet to get a grasp on the local bog orchids, this one is in a garden mini wet spot created to house Primula viallii (if only flowering more nearly overlapped with this!) etc-- at least having it here has confirmed for me that size of the orchid is situational or age related, not species diagnostic-- when planted here, it was fully flowering at maybe 1/4 this size..(50cm at a guess?)
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Still on that sultry mid-July day that inspired the above poem...
1-2 Peony.. I have an odd relationship with these flowers, planted some time ago by my mother and/or aunt; they are clearly ridiculous flowers, no proper flower parts visible even, and they can't even stand up on their own-- the large plant shown makes piles of buds every year, most of which never open fully, and many begin to rot on the plant... However, they've survived many years of no particular attention, they remind me of Old Dutch still life paintings, and they are photogenic with their pastel shades and crazy forms contrasting the dark foliage and shadows and light around....
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3- Zigadenus /Anticlea elegans a survivor from my teenage gardening years, it survived the overgrown rock garden for a couple of decades, and has been happy in its spot as I rebuilt and extended everything around it... Anaphalis that appeared on its own, behind...
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Super initiative, Cohan, thank you!
I've added the photos in attachimg= form to the place in the text where they are relevant- I think it makes for a better "read"
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Very good, Cohan!
You are certainly more poetic than I am :)
My grandma was fond of those "ridiculous flowers"! She had white, pink and red ones at the summerhouse. The white ones were like cabbage in size.
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Super initiative, Cohan, thank you!
I've added the photos in attachimg= form to the place in the text where they are relevant- I think it makes for a better "read"
Ah, thanks-- and here I was wondering why they weren't showing at the end as they should...lol should have read through, first...lol
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Very good, Cohan!
You are certainly more poetic than I am :)
My grandma was fond of those "ridiculous flowers"! She had white, pink and red ones at the summerhouse. The white ones were like cabbage in size.
Thanks!-- Yes, when they open fully, those flowers can be huge, and that is without any particular care from me, your grandma probably treated them better...lol I think the species peonies are very nice.. ;)
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Good to see you posting here, Cohan.
I have not heard much from you on the usual groups. Glad all is well.
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Good to see you posting here, Cohan.
I have not heard much from you on the usual groups. Glad all is well.
Thanks, John-- my FB account was caught up in what seems to be a widespread phenomenon of people being blocked for supposed community violations but without any of the fun that implies ;) so, that account is gone! I have yet to try setting up a new one, but many people are not able to.... so here, twitter, instagram and the blog currently :)
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Scheduling and energy seem to be keeping me from doing a lot of walking about on the farm beyond the acreage-- ironic that I get out there much more in winter since a) I have to go out for firewood, then, and b)I am not tied up in the yard with gardening and mowing!!
I did manage a modest loop along one edge of the acreage and back around just onto the farm, through a wetland strip and then mixed woods.
The north end of the acreage is wet woodland, which continued onto the farm, followed by a fairly extensive mixed wetland area with more and less open areas. Wetlands here are often used for pasturage, but if not heavily grazed, they will tend to grow over with woody cover-- willows, birch, dwarf birch, tamarack (larch), spruce etc. This was the case in this part of the farm, and a few years back, my relatives cleared strips along the fenceline, presumably both to allow fence repair access and to open up some areas for grazing.
The short term result was not attractive, with brush piles with some sod/peat piled up marring the sight lines, and the ground looking scarred. Several years on, there have been inroads made by some weeds, but there are also native plants which were variously present in the seed bank or present as sparsely/non flowering vegetative clones in the shade, which have made a strong come back with more sun and openness. I'm swiftly running out of time for this morning, but will start getting photos posted from the walk, both from the woodland areas and this 'new' wetland area.
1- wet woods on the north side of the acreage
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2- a grassy view of the wetland area-- mix of native and non-native species... I'm poor on grasses, don't have a name for this handsome grass, not even sure whether it is native or exotic!
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Packera (Senecio) paupercula is a not rare, but not abundant species here. I've seen it generally in two sorts of sites -- in open grassy areas wetland/edge, and also some quite shady spots in moist/mesic woodland (two such spots on the acreage). Recently, a botanist friend in B.C. mentioned that he sees two forms-- the usual not too tall plants, with a moderate number of flower heads having relatively long ray flowers ('petals'- they aren't), and a more robust, taller, more branching form, with more numerous flower heads with shorter ray flowers. Subsequently, I found a patch of this second form on the acreage in open woodland. During the walk outlined above, I photographed patch of each-- the first is the typical form, this is growing in a moist/mesic site in the roadside ditch, just at or within the acreage property line; the second is not far away, up the embankment and into the open, grassy mixed woods. I have no idea whether these are variable manifestations of the same species, or whether, like many native taxa, they are not properly resolved and should have distinct names.. I believe my friend has found the robust form comes true from seed, I have not tried.
1-2- the typical long rayed form
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3-4 the robust plants with short rays
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We have a species og
Senecio Solidago(virgaurea) here which vary a lot. You can find specimens with only one or a few heads and others with many (hundreds?) heads. The form of the ray flowers vary also. I don't think they are described as different taxa because you can find every form between the most different ones.
Senecio virgaurea
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We have a species og Senecio (virgaurea) here which vary a lot. You can find specimens with only one or a few heads and others with many (hundreds?) heads. The form of the ray flowers vary also. I don't think they are described as different taxa because you can find every form between the most different ones.
Senecio virgaurea
Nice... in my area, at least, these Packeras/Senecio are never so numerous. I'm not sure I would have realised these forms were so different, but Curtis has mentioned the two forms from his area, and I believe he has grown one or the other from seed. Who knows whether any botanists have looked at the forms in my area? I wouldn't bet on it... If I'm around long enough I should try to grow each one from seed, and also grow them side by side, and see if they remain distinct, and whether they make intermediates.
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Seems I mixed some names! The plant I mention is Solidago, not Senecio! I have corrected it now.
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Seems I mixed some names! The plant I mention is Solidago, not Senecio! I have corrected it now.
Ah! Well, one yellow composite or another...lol.. I did admire the Solidago on your thread, I think I kind of noticed the same species name you mentioned for the Senecio, but it was not a close-up here, so I didn't really think about it...lol.. Now I was going to be really confusingly cross-threaded and talk more about the
Solidagos, but I will be good and go do that on your thread...lol
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Back to that walk on July 13 (I'm feeling like a map of the acreage and the parts of the farm nearby where I walk might be useful....have to think about making one..lol). The summer-- up until the last week-- has been cool to warm, very little hot (even as far as we define it here-- 30C give or take a few degrees), and frequent rain, including some all day events, such as we have not seen for a few years. Wetlands are nicely filled, and wildlife-- such as mosquitoes-- have done very well! Dragonflies have also hatched out in tremendous numbers, but they are always later than the mosquitoes, and are more fond of warmer weather, so it has not been until quite recently that they have really come on strong in the yard-- which gives us a lot of relief from the mosquitoes! (the first I saw of the mass hatching was on this walk..later)
On the day of the walk, it was a moderate 19-20C-- as usual, probably a few degrees higher in contained sunny spots, lower in shade, and the sun and clouds were taking turns. I'm not fond of photos from overcast times, but often if I waited a few minutes, I could get the shot I wanted when the sun came back out.
The first part of the walk was along the east, then north part of the acreage-- east is the road, northside borders my relatives' farm. A big chunk of the east border suffered a a clearcut a few years back, when the local power company, which normally makes sure electric lines are safe from trees, started a new practise and greatly overstepped their mandate. In the first photo you see the view looking up the ditch, acreage to the left, road on the right.
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Below the poplars you see, there was another wooded strip, largely spruce a few decades old with some poplars, willows, etc, which extended to about midway in the ditch--which is actually part of our land-- the ditch seems so wide because they took soil from the hill for roadbuilding farther up where it crossed a long wetland, that would have been late 60's or very early 70's. Standard practise for the power line maintenance is to top spruce that come near lines, and remove poplars, which they had been given permission for, when all of a sudden they showed up with some monstrous forest eating machinery.. When I realised what was going on, I had them stopped, at least the last section, which is directly between the house and road, was left intact. This mess left us more exposed visually to the road, and more vulnerable to the large amounts of dust that come off the gravel road in dry weather. There followed a year of planting inside the acreage to establish more trees and shrubs in what was a somewhat empty area between the roadside woods and the house, and we built what I call 'fedges' kind of a cross between dry hedge and fence.. another subject for another day!
Anyway, you see here the site of the carnage, several years on. The only two upsides were a)the woodland strip was turned into a mass of wood chips which served as mulch for many beds (though, frankly, the major part went to plantings I had to make because of the clearing!) and b) in the open mixed woods behind those poplars, there was suddenly more light, which was pleasing to many of the native plants in there. Especially along the edge, there has been an explosion of native Vicia and Lathyrus, Cornus canadensis has done extra well (or maybe that's just the view-- they are fine in the shade, too), Viburnum edule a few metres in has been extra nice. Some weeds have also done well, especially some clovers, but being an agricultural area, they are already everywhere, and usually don't form exclusive stands, so they don't bother me too much. You can see a Silene latifolia in one shot-- they can be very vigorous weeds in gardens, fields, disturbed areas, but don't generally persist long term in closed soils. This one is probably there because of the soil disturbance, and/or my practise of dumping weeds along the property edge, likely won't persist.
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Silene latifoliais usually annual or biennial here but self sow a lot where happy, usually in disturbed soil. Do you have Trifolium medium? It can build up dense mats, spreading by underground runners.
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Silene latifoliais usually annual or biennial here but self sow a lot where happy, usually in disturbed soil. Do you have Trifolium medium? It can build up dense mats, spreading by underground runners.
Yes, I think the Silene is biennial or short-lived perennial here, that is probably why it does not persist in closed soils.
As far as I know we don't have that Trifolium-- we have repens, pratense and hybridum. All of them are a pain in the butt in the garden, especially repens which will grow under mulch etc, but when they grow outside cultivated spaces, at least other plants are able to grow among or through them.
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More photos from that walk on July 13 (jeepers, nearly a month already!), without too much blabbering....
This set is still in the edge of the wooded area I showed above, and or in the roadside ditch...
1-Vicia americana etc
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2,3-Shepherdia canadensis -oddly the waxwings that usually strip these as soon as they are ripe have not been around much this year, which means I've snacked on them more than ever!
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4-nice gall on a poplar leaf
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5-Shamefully I have not sorted out the several local Salix species, this one should not be super hard, with it's somewhat glaucous fuzzy leaves, and somewhat later seeding..
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and more... wet woods at the north of the acreage, just bordering the open(cleared) strip of wetland that is coming up..
1-Symphoricarpos albus, common here in a wide range of habitats
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2- small Sedge etc, presumed-- there are a huge number of Carex species in Alberta, I have really not even started to figure out the locals, but there are many nice ones.
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3- I think this is a moss? shady, wet habitats, typically under other vegetative cover
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4- Galium boreale and Galium triflorum are common and conspicuous species, less obvious is this small, tiny flowered wetland species..
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5- Geum aleppicum -- a wetland/edge species here, which has nonetheless made its way into my gardens, where it is adaptable to even dry sites, and very attractive, but will seed generously.
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Now crossing the fence from the acreage to the farm-- this is the section I mentioned earlier which was bulldozed (think a smaller machine, though..lol) a few years ago to give access to the fence for repair and expand grazing-- this is wetland and was all grown in with woodies. Some of these species are happy in mixed partly wooded areas, some flower in sun or shade, others are mostly vegetative in shade and only flower/abundantly when there is an opening..
1-Rubus arcticus pretty adaptable, though like anything, will be a bit denser and more floriferous in sun; I've planted a bit in a low wet/mesic spot between rock ridges, and it may be doing too well, climbing the ridges easily! I'll probably need to start yanking! It does flower much more there than in shady places... it probably needs a nice bed mostly to itself where it can form a big beautiful patch!
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2-Epilobium species probably E ciliatum, though I'm not totally clear on these species of Willow Herbs, there may be more than one.. flowers are tiny, though bright (there are some whites, also) and I especially like the reddish overwintering basal rosettes-- among the only signs of life in early spring. I have the species around in the garden, but it has never really been problematic for me, as it is in some places, and I am quite fond of it.
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3-Geum rivale, the central flower heading to seed; flowers in sun or shade, though quite floppy in shade; oddly, this has a wider range of habitats in the wild than aleppicum, yet has not made the leap to the yard and garden as that species has.
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4- Ranunculus acris, the durned Buttercup, invasive here, fortunately not forming exactly exclusive colonies, but still taking up a lot of acreage, and often in wetlands, which had been previously exempt from many of the foreign forage escapes that are so common in mesic to drier sites.
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5- Erigeron philadelphicus another of those odd birds which occur in wetland/edge habitat, but in the garden will grow anywhere at all, flowering much more than those in the wild. They put on quite a show, but seed very generously, with seed ripening nearly as soon as the flowers have lost colour; very nice in a meadow setting with other robust plants, but keep them away from rock beds with smaller species (not super hard to remove, but there will be many to remove!).
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I now interrupt regular (plant focussed) programming, to show you some views from the area-- taken from the moving vehicle (no, I'm not the driver ;) )..
I've probably repeatedly ;) said here that it's been a wet summer (even after noting that June through at least mid-July is our rainy time, and thunderstorms throughout the season can drop a lot of rain) and not especially warm. We had a week or two that approached hot, mostly because the nights were almost warm instead of our usual chilly ( meaning houses did not cool off rapidly, as they usually do here) but that ended with, of course, more thunderstorms and rain ;) Now we are back to alternating warm days or parts of them when the sun is out, cooler spells when it is cloudy and rainy, and chilly nights. The other day while I was working, there was a couple inches of small hail in Rocky Mountain House, looked like snow on the ground (working, no pics)... here are several views later on the highway, then gravel commute heading home. Bear in mind these are generally zoomed and cropped (the mountains are not that close), more edited than usual, since through the glass shots at highway speeds can need a bit of work ;)
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I recognize some of the plants! Ranunculus acris is native here, and quite common from seaside to montane meadows. But I think the old species is split in several new taxa.
Rubus arcticus is also native here but in the east and north so I have never seen it growing wild. The berries are very tasty I have heard.
Geum rivale is also very common here, but G. aleppicum doesn't grow here, at least not as a native plant.
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Cohan,
Now that I have some time to read, I am enjoying your thread. 8)
Your countryside is very beautiful. Thank you for sharing both the plant photographs as well as the scenes from the countryside.
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I recognize some of the plants! Ranunculus acris is native here, and quite common from seaside to montane meadows. But I think the old species is split in several new taxa.
Rubus arcticus is also native here but in the east and north so I have never seen it growing wild. The berries are very tasty I have heard.
Geum rivale is also very common here, but G. aleppicum doesn't grow here, at least not as a native plant.
I'm not sure about the flavour of the Rubus-- usually berries are rather scarce and scattered, they are rather seedy, as all Rubus, I guess... I should see if the big patch in the garden made berries , or they may be gone already...
I've suddenly noticed this year that I see two forms of yellow flowered Geum in the yard-- in theory I might have macrophyllum, but none ever seemed to key out to that from the leaf characters.. but I realised that some seem to have different sepal characteristics, and more noticeable leaflets near the flowers... I'll have to see if I got decent photos and look into it...
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Cohan,
Now that I have some time to read, I am enjoying your thread. 8)
Your countryside is very beautiful. Thank you for sharing both the plant photographs as well as the scenes from the countryside.
Thanks, Robert. It is always interesting to see both similarities and differences in where others live and garden :)
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The feeling from the morning of August 17, 2020, fleshed out with some suitable photos from that day and others... a few more images on the blog post ..
Late summer morning,
light clouds slow
the temperature's ascent,
it's warm, pleasant.
The air's thick with the scent
of clunky old roses,
while rock beds, weeds and masses
of wildflowers buzz
with bees and flower flies, and butterflies,
and a million other tiny
flying, crawling lives.
In the open, dragons hunt and survey
while mosquitoes find
it's prudent to hide in the shade
and wait,
for cooler times.
https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/08/scent-of-old-roses-late-summer-poem-and.html
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continued...
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Cohan... the quality of your photos is outstanding. Detailed and vivid. I am very impressed and I am looking forward to seeing more of them...
Cheers
Thomas
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Cohan, seems you have a rich insect fauna around!
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Cohan... the quality of your photos is outstanding. Detailed and vivid. I am very impressed and I am looking forward to seeing more of them...
Cheers
Thomas
Thank-you, Thomas-- I get a lot of pleasure from taking and editing them, so I hope some people enjoy seeing them :)
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Cohan, seems you have a rich insect fauna around!
Yes indeed! I don't have the numbers to compare to historic populations , but I see a lot of variety now-- it seems to me that they enjoy both the variety of plants I have planted-- which extend the season and diversity a lot, especially early in the year-- and also the areas that I leave unmowed or mowed less often, so there are a lot more wildflowers (and flowering weeds, like clover that get a chance to flower!). On the day I took the photos in the Veronica patch, I counted around 5 species of bees, several drone flies besides other kinds of insects-- and that is only a half hour or less in a few square feet.
I'm sure you know the following, I include it for any readers who are newer to pollinator gardens: diversity of plants is really important, since different insects prefer different plants-- on some things I see only tiny bees and wasps (many species of those too, esp the tiny ones), other things attract the big bumble bees. The most popular always seem to be those plants with flower heads made up of many small flowers-- more desirable than big single flowers! and of course crazy hybrids with no or diminished sexual parts are useless.
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Cohan, I think I have many species in my garden but the number of specimens diminish I am afraid. I do not count them but observe the number of dead insects in the windowsill in the conservatory!
20 years ago it was heaps! Not any longer....
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Cohan,
Your homeland countryside is very beautiful. If frost is pending, then I understand that your growing season is very short. This has its limitations, but also it seems there could be some great opportunities. Alpine species must thrive with the cool, rainy summer weather and the abundance of winter chilling. I look forward to seeing more of your countryside.
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Cohan, I think I have many species in my garden but the number of specimens diminish I am afraid. I do not count them but observe the number of dead insects in the windowsill in the conservatory!
20 years ago it was heaps! Not any longer....
Are farmers in your region using a lot of pesticides? When I was a kid, it was pretty much unheard of here, not sure if it has changed.. I imagine someone must be studying the stage of insect populations in Alberta, but I haven't heard... several flowery places in the yard were literally buzzing again today... lots of medium sized bees around, haven't seen many of the really big ones this year-- maybe they like drier years like the wasps...
the air has also been full of tiny flying things for weeks-- I don't know what they are generally, I think there are many of those gnat sized things over the season-- tiny flies, tiny beetles, tiny moths.. currently there is something that manages to get in the house in spite of very fine window screens meant to keep out 'no-see-ums' and rigorous protocols on getting into and out of the house to minimise any unwanted entries...lol
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Cohan,
Your homeland countryside is very beautiful. If frost is pending, then I understand that your growing season is very short. This has its limitations, but also it seems there could be some great opportunities. Alpine species must thrive with the cool, rainy summer weather and the abundance of winter chilling. I look forward to seeing more of your countryside.
I think there is frost in the record books in every month, though after the first week of June, it would be rare until mid August, and depending on the spot, and the year, it can be mostly/frost free from mid_May thru part or all of Sept-- though often we might get a frost or two then weeks more frost free...lol This acreage does not usually get the really early or late frosts, but I also grow very little that is frost tender outdoors, except some vegetables, some years- I don't bother with many of the hot weather crops, as this property does not have the right conditions, mostly.
The growing season, though, for natives and hardy plants from other places is much longer than the frost free season-- some things in the rock garden may begin in March or April depending on snow melt times, with bulbs starting around then too, and likewise there are natives and rock garden things flowering long past the first frosts-- I've seen a few things here and there-probably sheltered spots, or just lucky- still going when there have been general night temps to -10C /14F or lower through much or all of September and beyond.
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Are farmers in your region using a lot of pesticides? When I was a kid, it was pretty much unheard of here, not sure if it has changed.. I imagine someone must be studying the stage of insect populations in Alberta, but I haven't heard... several flowery places in the yard were literally buzzing again today... lots of medium sized bees around, haven't seen many of the really big ones this year-- maybe they like drier years like the wasps...
the air has also been full of tiny flying things for weeks-- I don't know what they are generally, I think there are many of those gnat sized things over the season-- tiny flies, tiny beetles, tiny moths.. currently there is something that manages to get in the house in spite of very fine window screens meant to keep out 'no-see-ums' and rigorous protocols on getting into and out of the house to minimise any unwanted entries...lol
It is not many farmers close to us here and those who are have livestock, nobody grows vegetables for sale. But the closest farm (dairy) was discontinued years ago. They had animals grazing just outside our fence. The lack of big fat flies is connected to that I believe!
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It is not many farmers close to us here and those who are have livestock, nobody grows vegetables for sale. But the closest farm (dairy) was discontinued years ago. They had animals grazing just outside our fence. The lack of big fat flies is connected to that I believe!
So, what do you think is affecting insect numbers?
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I think there is frost in the record books in every month, though after the first week of June, it would be rare until mid August, and depending on the spot, and the year, it can be mostly/frost free from mid_May thru part or all of Sept-- though often we might get a frost or two then weeks more frost free...lol This acreage does not usually get the really early or late frosts, but I also grow very little that is frost tender outdoors, except some vegetables, some years- I don't bother with many of the hot weather crops, as this property does not have the right conditions, mostly.
The growing season, though, for natives and hardy plants from other places is much longer than the frost free season-- some things in the rock garden may begin in March or April depending on snow melt times, with bulbs starting around then too, and likewise there are natives and rock garden things flowering long past the first frosts-- I've seen a few things here and there-probably sheltered spots, or just lucky- still going when there have been general night temps to -10C /14F or lower through much or all of September and beyond.
Cohan,
The region where you live reminds me of some of the high mountain valleys in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, such as Sierra Valley. Of course, our mountain valleys are much drier. According to the climatic data recorded in Sierra Valley, frost can occur during any month during the summer, however like your region, plants can start active growth in April and growth can continue into November depending on the season. Cold air collects in the valley floor and there are thermal belts on the higher ground surrounding the valley.
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Cohan,
I thought that you would enjoy some photographs of one of our high Sierra Nevada mountain valleys. This is a view of Sierra Valley, elevation 4,850 feet (1,478 meters), from Yuba Pass. This view is to the east with the state of Nevada in the far distance.
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This is another view of Sierra Valley looking off to the north toward the Feather River in the far distance.
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This is the small village of Calpine located on the west side of Sierra Valley. During the 1930’s there were plans to turn this sleepy town into a resort destination. My grandfather, a farmer and civil engineer, was hired the survey the town in preparation for the new resort. This was during the Great Depression. Needless to say the venture went bankrupt and they were unable to pay him for his work.
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All they could offer him for payment was a cabin in town (Calpine). This stone foundation is all that remains of the cabin. I remember staying in the cabin when I was very young. The stone foundation supported two large logs on which the cabin was built. The logs became rotten and the cabin needed to be demolished. The cabin too was rotting.
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This is the Calpine general store. When I was young this store was in disrepair. Somebody was able to fix it up.
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There are some nice small houses in Calpine.
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When I was young this Lodge was a rundown mess. Somebody has fixed it up and made in functional. Currently there is no resort in Calpine and it is not likely that one will ever be built. There is a large resort and golf course in Graeagle.
It is about 25 miles to the north of Calpine, on the Feather River (plenty of water!).
All of these photographs were taken in August of 2007.
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So, what do you think is affecting insect numbers?
More houses, less flowers good for insects. The gardens around here are mostly very tiresome, also for animals! Even all the neighbors' cats prefer our garden to their own.
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Cohan,
I thought that you would enjoy some photographs of one of our high Sierra Nevada mountain valleys. This is a view of Sierra Valley, elevation 4,850 feet (1,478 meters), from Yuba Pass. This view is to the east with the state of Nevada in the far distance.
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Robert,
I enjoyed the photographs also! Do they have snow in winter up there?
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Hi Trond,
Yes, it does snow in Sierra Valley. Sierra Valley is on the lee side of the Sierra Nevada crest so it is in the “rain shadow”. The western portion of the valley receives much more snowfall than the eastern side. I do not have any climatic statistics that are easily available to me for Sierra Valley, however I do know that they exist and I have looked at them in the past.
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Trond-- I suppose I can guess at those sorts of gardens that are not good for insects or even cats :( frilly large-flowered hybrids with few sexy parts? maybe some green shrubs?
Robert- interesting area-- certainly you could find some areas in southern Alberta, and even more so, B.C. that look very much like the spots you show. I like to try to guess where movies and TV shows are filmed, and sometimes I can't tell between B.C. and some high elevation CA places. Nice that a couple of those old businesses were revived.. I remember a big general store in the small town nearby where my elementary school was, and the post office. The school was/is still there ( there are big changes to the couple of small town schools nearest, and the high school which was on the highway between, I just can't remember what they are doing exactly...lol) but post office long gone, and the general store gone much longer-- now cars and roads are better and faster, the small places are mostly gone between the 'real' towns. Ironically, more people live in that town than ever, but services are gone.
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This begins a set from a walk on the farm on August 30-- the kind of walk where you don't go all that fast, spending a lot of time looking around, soaking in the wonders-- from a late flower to a bold dragonfly to fattening birds to clouds of dancing insects.. Naturally I took piles of photos, and later wrote a poem ;)
more images as usual on the blog, IG and Twitter (soon)-- I try to use different photos for each platform, and even a bit of a different tone with the editing.... here there will be more focus on the plants etc than just on the 'feeling' ;)
1-just outside the acreage, the breeze rustling the aspens tucked among the spruce, there is a not yet posted video..
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2- Crossing one of the wetter sections-- in peak times the water flows (barely perceptibly) through here, so there is a bit of a stretch like a peaty stream bed (no standing water now, but still soggy and I had to choose my footing)..
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3- Perhaps a sign of a wetter than usual year, I have rarely if ever seen snails in this spot (more so around areas that always have standing water); this person was very tiny, accompanied by an even tinier fly, which I did not even see until I enlarged the image on the computer.
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4-Here's something I've never seen before-- out of season Caltha palustris flowering! The plants are very numerous and widespread here, but this time of year I expect to see only large, fading plants.. I saw several small fresh plants in this spot-- not sure if they were all seedlings or re-sprouts? In any case, I guess they liked the wet summer too.
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Oops-- forgot the poem, here it is --
A Slow Walk Into Magick
I took a slow walk,
out of the yard,
through the trees
that border the acreage,
into the woods
on the farm beyond,
picking my way slowly
across wet peat,
through grass tall or grazed low,
wandering between trees,
down cut lines
across clearings...
looking, watching and listening
to all the beings busy with life
hurrying to finish the season
while Saule still warms.
Forest and meadow were full
with ancient life-magicks
everywhere, not quite hidden.
In a silent glade,
Faeries danced courtly in a Sunbeam,
masked as Crane Flies,
daring a stray human to join the dance,
while Trees watched, laughing softly.
I tipped my head and walked on, slowly.
Not far away an old field hosted
the witches of Bird Goddess:
a Coven of Robins,
casting spells with ears cocked to Earth,
fattening for journeys to come and
wary of intruding eyes.
Farther back, at the far edge of the field, warier still,
a Congregation of Magpies slipped away,
their mystic conversations no business
of passing wanderers.
Unseen, Ravens called, speaking to farflung cohorts
in the ancient tongue of the Goddess.
I walked on, admiring the confidence of late flowers,
the industry of insects,
passing through deep pockets of shade
realm of Earth Mother Mara and
soaking in Saule's warmth in
the meadows where she still holds sway.
I returned home content to have
brushed against the hem of their Mysteries,
feeling their ancient magick
humming in the dark warmth of my blood,
flickering golden at the edge of vision,
feeding my soul the rich energy that
flows from the play of Dark and Light.
Now, there is work to do in the yard,
as Autumn is coming.
Back to photos!
1,2- Still crossing that wet area, a less common thing than the Caltha, but not rare around wet places-- I haven't sorted out names for these tiny Ranunculus species, we may have several. This is also something I wouldn't expect to see flowering at summer's end, but I'm less familiar with their habits. Two crappy shots :(
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3- Parts of the wetland have been cleared ( a few years ago, now) to reduce the woodies that overgrow it and open up for grazing. There are only cattle in here over the summer, these days, and not in huge number, so their favourite areas are grazed low, much else is just passed through lightly. These cleared areas allow wetland species that like more sun to flourish, but also allow for weeds and grasses (presumably a mix of native and non).
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4,5- Non-native Sonchus-- we have a couple of species, I think annual and perennial, they aren't too often really problematic, and don't generally form exclusive stands-- certainly this one was not doing too much to compete with natives, so I have a bit of a soft spot for them...
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1- We have a lot of Ribes around here, and I won't swear I have them pegged right (esp the small leaf gooseberry types, haven't got those sorted at all!) but I think this is R triste, which has longish clusters of pinky-green flowers early in spring, then long clusters of bright red tasty tart berries later, and lovely leaves, and times confusable with Viburnum edule.
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2- It's been a big year for Dragonflies, but less so as far as I have noticed, for Damselflies... this is not one of the fancy blues, but still lovely, I think it is Lestes congener, one of the Spreadwing Damselflies.
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3,4,5 -Parnassia palustris flowers in wettish areas in late summer; at first I wasn't finding any in an area I used to see lots, and thought that maybe changing grazing/weed patterns had ousted them ( also thought I might be late, but wasn't finding them in seed either) but eventually I still found some that had avoided being overgrown/trampled/eaten (if they are) in various stages-- note differences in the centre suggesting some fertilised and well on the way to seed, others fresher.
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Your photos are very evocative Cohan, especially the tree tops & sky 8)
The boggy area looks interesting. Is it permanently wet & what sedges or other plants grow there besides the lovely Caltha?
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Trond-- I suppose I can guess at those sorts of gardens that are not good for insects or even cats :( frilly large-flowered hybrids with few sexy parts? maybe some green shrubs?....
Not a bad guess, Cohan.
It is a couple gardens like that. One is so "nice" that it could be made of plastic. But most are just lawn and a few odd plants.
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4,5- Non-native Sonchus-- we have a couple of species, I think annual and perennial, they aren't too often really problematic, and don't generally form exclusive stands-- certainly this one was not doing too much to compete with natives, so I have a bit of a soft spot for them...
Looks a little like S. arvensis. Then it can cover a few sq. m in no time but the flowers are nice! It is not long lived though.
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Your photos are very evocative Cohan, especially the tree tops & sky 8)
The boggy area looks interesting. Is it permanently wet & what sedges or other plants grow there besides the lovely Caltha?
Thanks :) the wetlands are quite extensive around here, both open grassy areas ( but they will generally grow over in woodies unless grazed, hayed or cleared periodically, except areas with standing water most of the time, then that is a different ecology)... that exact spot is not super diverse, since it is more or less a pathway for cattle coming and going, but in the broader wetlands on the farm, from grassy to partly wooded to shaded places ranging from generally damp to seasonally standing water in spring and often in parts of summer after heavy rain; many of the areas can be dry enough to walk with shoes at times, though not every year, and never dry below the surface; the range of moisture options are expanded by the hummocks which form around the bases of shrubs and between places where cattle step-- so the raised areas would never be in the water, but still have moisture; then drier still around the bases of Spruce and Tamarack (Larix) and places where past clearing has mounded brush/trees/ sod (brush piles). These raised areas can hold common woodland species if they have larger trees, or meadow species.
There are all sorts of things from Platantheras (non-flashy greenish ones) to Comarum to asters ( a couple or more), Erigeron, Pedicularis, Menyanthes, Rubus arcticus, Triglochin, numerous sedges including some very pretty ones, Geum rivale and aleppicum, Scutellaria, Mentha, Petasites of course, Rumex, Maianthemum trifolium, Cicutum, Lysimachia thyrsiflora, Viola nephrophylla, Utricularia, some tiny Galiums and Epilobium, a particular Stellaria or adjacent, Valerian, Amerorchis (not often), Packera paupercula and probably many I'm forgetting at the moment. woodies include a number of Salix, a couple of Betula (dwarf and paper, at least) several Ribes, Picea glauca and mariana, Larix laricina, Populus on higher ground.....
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Looks a little like S. arvensis. Then it can cover a few sq. m in no time but the flowers are nice! It is not long lived though.
I've never seen any Sonchus make serious inroads in spots like that with closed soil. but sometimes they do at roadsides or field edges... I have an annual species around the gardens, and a perennial species by some old plantings of mom's- in old boxes that used to hold cucumbers, but also starting in the 'lawn' beside-- they have nice glaucous leaves and get very tall... probably some would be horrified that I leave them there...lol I have photos, but none that really shows the 'patch'...lol
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Not a bad guess, Cohan.
It is a couple gardens like that. One is so "nice" that it could be made of plastic. But most are just lawn and a few odd plants.
Not uncommon here, either... occasional funny things---rock piles with no particular plantings, tiny flower beds a few feet across surrounded by large mowed areas (some have really vast mowed areas, even out to the highway ditch and down some distance); weirder yet are a couple I see that have extensive areas with trees and shrubs (not right next to the house, a bit farther out, but close to the road) and they keep the soil permanently tilled and bare around the trees! no grass, nothing... that's some serious control issues...lol
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Thanks for the Alberta experience Cohan.
I enjoy all the pictures and reading your poem makes me feel as if I am walking with you.
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Thanks for the Alberta experience Cohan.
I enjoy all the pictures and reading your poem makes me feel as if I am walking with you.
Thanks, Ian-- and best thing about walking along virtually?-- no mosquitoes! ;) (actually they've tapered quite a bit now, finally, though they had a great year with all the rain..)
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Continuing on August 30...
1- We have a handful or more of local Aster species (in several different genera, now), but right on the farm/acreage, by far the most common is Symphyotrichum ciliolatum. Individual plants can bloom for quite a while, but with so many plants, the real effect is several months of flowers from mid summer through moderate frosts (I've seen scattered plants still flowering when we've had -10C or lower) well into fall.
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2-Near where the Parnassias were photographed, a semi open grassy strip between a wet wooded zone and a mesic mixed wood; This photo was late afternoon, the spot should be more or less sunny in mid day.
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3- Looking up, edge of the mesic woods, Populus balsamifera and P temuloides; this was Aug 30, late summer green before the gold made serious inroads.. still lots of green now, but more colour ever day..
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4- A cut line (probably one of my uncle's access routes around the property, though there may also be pipleines somewhere..) through a wooded area, opening out to an old field.
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5- A different spot, more poplars, P balsamifera, south edge of a mixed wood, overlooking a cleared area and then wetland again.
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1- I only learned the term 'Foliose Lichen' a few years ago, though I'd always seen these beautiful organisms, as they are quite common here-- on rotting logs, bases of trees, mixed forest floor vegetation, even some significant patches in the yard in mowed areas. They can be quite changeable-- the just rained fully engorged look is very different from the dried out look! I haven't pegged the species we have, partly because you need to look at the back of the fronds(?) for veining characters, and I hate to pull them, up, and since they often grow in low light areas, my attempts at close-up shots have not always been sufficient for technical purposes! Anyway, I love them :)
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2- I was looking for a colony of ferns-- the first and for long time only ferns I knew of on the farm (I've found a couple of others, different, in more recent years).. I think I had a tentative id at one time, but forget, need to look them up again.. I hadn't looked at them in several years or more, so wanted to look on this walk, wasn't sure if they'd have died back for the year, or -heaven forbid- some changes in the woodland might have killed them off. I know the general area and the look and feel of the spot, but these things change over time as trees fall, wood on the ground rots or is grown over, etc, so I was searching for a bit (final results in the next post). On the search I first found several seedlings of Osmorhiza depauperata, which has a ferny look to the foliage, and had me wondering for a few minutes-- adult plants would never be confused with this fern, as the structure is different, much larger and this time of year would have fruiting stems, but since I only saw the seedlings, I was unsure at first.
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3- Also nearby, these cute little fungi, which always make me think of Conophytum (South African succulents). With Mitella and Lathyrus.
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4-One of the very earliest woodland wildflowers here, Viola renifolia, with more foliose lichens, Mitella, Mertensia, Lathyrus, leaves of Populus balsamifera, a sedge, etc
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... the wetlands are quite extensive around here ... There are all sorts of things ...
Thanks Cohan. Great photos and thread.
I suppose that many of your sedges would be familiar to us in NW Europe too. Are there any drosera or pinguicula species?
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Thanks Cohan. Great photos and thread.
I suppose that many of your sedges would be familiar to us in NW Europe too. Are there any drosera or pinguicula species?
Thanks again, Ashley. I have to confess that I have not made much progress learning what the sedges are-- having glanced at the list in Flora of Alberta and seeing there are over 100 in the province ( no doubt some could be eliminated by location) and that they may require very detailed examination at various stages of development has left me not very keen on trying to name them...lol.
There are Drosera and Pinguicula in Alberta, but not on the farm that I've ever seen-- I suspect they may prefer more undisturbed areas rather than farmland where there is always some degree of cattle presence; there may be other reasons why they are likelier in the foothills etc-- I believe there are Drosera at Crimson Lake Park-- 40-50 km west/north of here, but I can't recall whether I've seen them myself. We have a large species overlap, but that area is just within the foothills biome (not yet the actual hills) so there are some soil differences etc, besides differences in land use. Pings I've mainly heard about in the actual mountain areas.
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I mentioned above that I was looking for a patch of ferns, which I had not looked for in several years. I did, happily find them-- one or two fronds at first, then more :) the colony seems still healthy and likely still spreading gently.. A little digging, suggests *probably* this is Gymnocarpium / Oak Fern ( Ironic name, in an oakless land! but then we have various 'maritima' species, thousands of miles from the ocean...).. probably G. disjunctum, which was previously a subspecies of G. dryopteris. These are tiny things no more than 10-20cm or so tall. they grow in the moist shady north edge of a mixed wood area bordering an open wetland strip on one side, and more open, mesic woods on the other side. They grow among long fallen willows ( the locals, with trunks never more than a few to 6 inches diameter) , moss and other forbs- Cornus canadensis, Viola renifolia, Mertensia, Fragaria, Equisetum, Carex. The fairly deep shade means not a lot of vegetation to attract cows, which has likely been important in preserving their habitat.
1-3 views of the plants
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4,5 views of the habitat-- standing just south of the ferns, in the edge of the mesic woods, with denser ground cover; the ferns are under the trees, where less groundcover is seen; past the trees is the grassy wetland area.
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In the poem I mention the covens of Robins (American Robin / Turdus migratorius - more closely related to the English Blackbird, I think) in an old field. The way they grouped, looking up to keep an eye on me, while hunting for their meals really had an uncanny look :) Among our most characterful birds, for sure. This small field ( in the family it was always call the Little Field) is off on its own, far from the other cultivated areas or farmyard, out in the middle of the 'bush'. When I was young, there was an old threshing machine parked outside it ( no idea when or by whom that was moved-- there is a place up the road where someone has a collection of them rusting away lining a field). In those days it was a regular field, sometimes cultivated then alternately sown to hay... The fence has long since been removed, and it is no longer tilled or hayed, just part of the pastureland (mix of meadow/woodland/wetland). It remains popular with the cattle that are on the land over the summer season, and is grazed lower and more evenly than most of the farm. There is a nice large colony of Antennaria out there, which has been there since my teen years, with plants with both white and pink flowers, my first exposures to the tiny silver delights of that genus.
1,2 Robins up to their arcane business, the air full of insects and thistle fluff.. longer bits of grass likely indicate bits of wood and/or piles of cow dung!
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Last set.
1- I've seen 3-4 scattered plants of Cotoneaster in the bush on the farm, presumably bird-sown from plants in someone's yard. Not sure if anyone has them nearby, or if they are from hedges in one of the towns... Not sure of species, they have black fruit and really nice fall colour.( I most often notice them in fall, when they stand out from the vaguely similarly shaped Shepherdia, which does not change colour much). The one closest to home seems to have been seriously eaten back this year, whether by cows or moose I don't know.. this was a new individual to me...
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2-Potentilla norvegica; not the showiest of Cinquefoils, and can be a bit weedy, though it is no problem for me in the garden-- I sometimes leave them in spots that are underplanted, they are pleasant, and create a lot of biomass to be absorbed back into the soil. Although they can grow anywhere with disturbed soil, and are not at all fussy in the garden, in the wild they are most likely (but not exclusive) to be in wetland/edge. As we see here, they can get some nice end of season colour.
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3- I've mentioned the number of Ribes species here-- in general they are good for signs of life early in spring, and great fall colour in many different shades, from early in the season. In the first photo, it was probably a damaged branch, since the rest is green..
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5- One of the several dragonfly species that have been numerous this year, this one is a smallish red.
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No shortage of ferns here! I think I have at least 10 different species around here.
I too hate to disturb the lichens! I always get bad conscience when I have to cross some of the hills covered by fruticose lichens.
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No shortage of ferns here! I think I have at least 10 different species around here.
I too hate to disturb the lichens! I always get bad conscience when I have to cross some of the hills covered by fruticose lichens.
I looked for another fern on this walk, a larger species, where I had seen exactly one plant over a few years, I wasn't able to find it, not sure if it is gone, or I just missed it.... There are other species in the foothills and mountains, probably some other species that could grow around here, I suspect they are another thing that does not appreciate cattle, and do better in ungrazed areas... We do also have Botrychium around, including on the acreage.
Usually here the foliose lichens are easily enough avoided when walking, since the growth is not so extensive... there are some large patches on the acreage in mowed areas, and these are tough things-- I walk on them, run the mower over, etc, they are just fine..
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I looked up your Robin. It has the same colours that our Robin has but is bigger. And it looks more like a blackbird in form. Our Robin is very trusty. It is often sitting on my spade when I dig in the garden! Have to be careful not to hurt it.
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I looked up your Robin. It has the same colours that our Robin has but is bigger. And it looks more like a blackbird in form. Our Robin is very trusty. It is often sitting on my spade when I dig in the garden! Have to be careful not to hurt it.
Yes, American Robin is Turdus, which I think is the same genus as European Blackbird (we have an entirely different genus called Blackbirds here, they are marsh birds). They are quite used to people, especially in towns, no doubt, but not so much as to sit on the spade! I think in places where they are really used to people ( all country birds are more wary than town ones) they might hang around looking for you to dig up worms-- they can follow tractors in the field for that..
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In many recent years we've had significant smoky periods in summer, from fires in other parts of Alberta, B.C. and/or the U.S.-- often partly or mainly very far away-- quite shocking how far major amounts of smoke can travel! This season having tended to be cool and wet in much of AB and B.C., plus covid lockdowns reducing the number of people in the backcountry (in particular, reductions in off road vehicles, I've read) reduced the human caused fires, so it has been a quieter than usual fire season in western Canada, unlike the western U.S., so we've had no smoky periods until now!
We had several days of chilly, damp (but no significant rain) cloudy weather, with haze starting to drift in, now it is sunnier and warmer, with the haze/smoke increasing-- today it actually looks orange from inside.. a couple of photos from the car, wed and thurs... May not yet be that smoky here, but a co-worker yesterday was already complaining about the smoke affecting her asthma... imagine for those actually in the fire zones, serious health problem..
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Looking out the window a little after noon... hard to capture accurately, but looks about like sunset colour, not that dark, though... (Yes, this rock garden needs weeding...lol)
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We rarely have smoky air here but they say we probably will see the smoke today - high up in the atmosphere we will not smell it but the sunrise and sunset will be redder than usual. (If it is not too cloudy!)
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Here too the evening sun was extraordinarily red.
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Hard to get an accurate photo-- the sun was very red, sky darkish, gloomy but not dark at ground level, this was still at least a couple of hours from sunset, 3 days ago.... it has since cleared a lot with change of wind direction, we'll see what it looks like out on the road...
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Smoky air has been seen in S Norway but not here at the west coast because it is too cloudy and rainy.
BTW your Cotoneaster looks like the C. lucidus I have in my garden.
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Smoky air has been seen in S Norway but not here at the west coast because it is too cloudy and rainy.
BTW your Cotoneaster looks like the C. lucidus I have in my garden.
I saw a satellite graphic showing the plume of smoke crossing the Atlantic... scary and impressive! Much clearer here recently.
C. lucidus sounds kind of familiar, probably someone suggested it before.. whatever it is, they are commonly planted as hedges in towns, so not too surprising the birds eat some berries there and come poop out here!
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Another turning of the seasons has come, occasions that have come to be more interesting and meaningful to me than some of the mainstream commercial/ex-Christian holidays-- some of you will have seen that I've been digging into the 'old ways' via my mom's Latvian heritage, and other bits. My aim is not to literally worship any pantheon or literally resurrect a way of life from pre-history, but rather to learn from people who (with their own set of foibles and errors) were clearly more directly connected to the natural world around them- by necessity if nothing else! I find paying attention to the rhythms of the seasons gives interest, beauty, calm and a reminder that we are never really stuck in one spot (or weather!) in life for long!
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Autumn here is lovely, with colour beginning in the forbs, shrubs and grasses, spreading into the trees where it reaches a brief glorious peak and settles back into the understory for weeks more before gradually slipping into the more subtle palette that leads into winter. At the same time, in this cold climate, there is an undercurrent of expectation of winter-- another beautiful season, but with extra work (cutting wood, shovelling snow), extra stress (driving conditions, though we are pretty lucky here) and extra time spent daily on simple things like getting dressed to go outdoors! So for me there is a certain tension with the beauty of autumn.
Add to that the fact that my mother passed away on Sept 23, a couple of years ago, and the Equinox now marks that anniversary for me as well.
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So, I marked the occasion (under bright sun and blue skies for the first and only day in a little while!) by making an altar or offering, to honour the season, the land, my mother's memory, with things chosen from the acreage specifically for one or all of those purposes.
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More details of the altar, thoughts on Equinox observances, and other photos in my blog post-
https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/09/autumn-equinox-offering-and-celebration.html
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More images from that day's wandering on the acreage-- plucking stems, leaves, flowers, thinking about the bounty of the land and my mother's life... these are all natives growing wild.
1- Cornus canadensis and Maianthemum canadense
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2- Eurybia conspicua-- sometimes called Wood Aster, but don't be fooled, it will not generally flower in shade, though it will make nice vegetative stands of robust foliage which turns all sorts of colours in autumn.
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3-Cornus canadensis again-- which can turn brilliant colours or not at all, depending on the site-- with Petasites frigidus palmatus and aspen leaves
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4- Viburnum edule (which turns brilliant red in sun, interesting pale colours in shade, this one is mid-range) with Eurybia conspicua (also turns from whitish, to pink, gold, deep purples and reds)
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A nice sentiment, Cohan.
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Two years already since your Mother passed - time spins away from us at great speed.
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Two years already since your Mother passed - time spins away from us at great speed.
Indeed, and I am not much closer to figuring out what the next steps are!!
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A nice sentiment, Cohan.
Thanks, Ian.
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Selfie fromSept 14-- it was almost all green behind me! Roughly the same spot on Sept 26, Viburnum edule and friends in full colour (it goes red in sun, pinks etc in shade). Chilly that first day, as you can tell by my clothes, second day 24C. Our temps have been up and down as they always are, but it has been dry for several weeks ( ideal at this time of year, no garden worries, as summer tended to wet.. after a slow summer, harvest has been surprisingly early and complete, many farmers are even getting a second haying in! hoping the dry continues as I move toward getting firewood!) and many seasonally warm days with no noticeable frost in the yard ( lettuce, peas and Aralia are fine so far, I don't have anything genuinely tender outside).
Blue tarps in background mark my main woodcutting area, just at the acreage border.
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A few recent views on the road-- it's been a good season for colour-- a combination of several dry weeks for early fall, no serious frosts and no strong winds to knock down the leaves mean peak poplar colour has lasted longer than usual. Atypically, the tamaracks (Larix) are starting to turn while there is still a lot of colour on the poplars (not seen in these shots).
Summer was generally cool and wettish, I wondered whether crops would ripen for farmers, but the dry weather came at the right time, and most got the harvest done early! I've even seen many getting a second hay crop, which has not happened much in recent years.. we've had a few wet days recently so anyone still trying to get things off the ground might have a harder time..
Some smoke from far away has returned off and on, visible in a couple of shots..
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Nice views, Cohan!
We (or rather I because it has rained where I have been and the weather has been nice all other places!) have had much rain the last weeks and the trees shed their leaf rather quickly in the mountains where I am now. Back home only the birches changed colour so far.They are usually early because they are often attacked by a leaf fungus in autumn.
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Nice views, Cohan!
We (or rather I because it has rained where I have been and the weather has been nice all other places!) have had much rain the last weeks and the trees shed their leaf rather quickly in the mountains where I am now. Back home only the birches changed colour so far.They are usually early because they are often attacked by a leaf fungus in autumn.
It was a rather long period of autumn colour in the trees this year-- the poplars lasted so long that they overlapped the Larix, which usually come mostly after everything else is done... Now it has all turned abruptly white, pics to come...lol
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No snow or frost at home yet but they have gotten much of it other places!
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No snow or frost at home yet but they have gotten much of it other places!
We are already on round 3 of snowfalls, in one week ( not counting the lighter ones)..
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Some recent road views-- after our first snow, only a week ago, but now things are much whiter, this already seems so long ago! More pics and more blabber on my blog- https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/10/and-then-came-winter-mid-october-views.html
1-Wetland area across the road, with some baby tamaracks, Larix laricina
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2-(zoomed) View towards the mountains from the highway
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3-Tamaracks, always the last native tree to turn, though the poplar season was extended this year, so they overlapped a little
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4-Town of Rocky Mountain House, where I work; view of the gas station across the street from the gas station we were at!
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5- Sunset, just outside of town
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Photographs of snowy landscapes are always nice. But I don't miss the shovelling!
They have gotten snow on many places here also but most has melted as the temperature increased a lot. Haven't had frost at home yet.
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If I ever move to someplace snow free, I will not miss it, I can look back at the thousands of photos...lol.. This week it is warming up-- with so much snow and mostly still cold nights, I'm not sure how much will melt, but for sure roads, rooves, shovelled paths etc should become clear.. 11 or more today, up to mid-teens by Sunday! If it keeps up, we may yet melt all of it, but there is a long way to go...
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Digging back a little-- the day the snow came, Oct 13. First set, on the drive into town (Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada) a bit gloomy, but still a fall day... these are from the moving car, pics, so tend to need a bit more editing! (I'm not the driver)
1- from the gravel road several miles from home, looking out towards the highway (the large building is across it) and some rooves of the hamlet of Condor beyond
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2- not far, on the highway, looking at a nice stand of Tamarack / Larix laricina
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3- a bit of wetland pasture, not far from Sylvan Lake
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4-just outside Sylvan Lake, Aspens /Populus tremuloides, in a field
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The same day, less than 2 hours later, on the way home, the snow began, getting whiter as we got nearer home. this set from near Sylvan Lake to near Eckville, Alberta, October 13, 2020
As I post these, it's been above 10C daytime for several days, lots of melting-- but there is still a fair amount of snow in some shady spots, places where it was shovelled etc.. still waiting to see whether we will be snow free before the next wintry spell (starting this coming weekend, probably)
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The visibility is also reduced here - by rain and fog, not snow! The soil is so soaked now that I could grow rice had it been warmer.
Cohan, you may have told before but how long is your drive to the town?
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The visibility is also reduced here - by rain and fog, not snow! The soil is so soaked now that I could grow rice had it been warmer.
Cohan, you may have told before but how long is your drive to the town?
Rice-- that's wet! It has still been up and down, we got days to mid-high teens, and back to days well below freezing with fresh snow again.
The town where I work, Rocky Mountain House, is 20 miles/32km west, so around 25 minutes; for shopping on non-work days we often go the other direction to Sylvan Lake, that is 26 miles/42km; a little farther on the same road is the nearest small city, Red Deer where we go sometimes when we need specific things, for some appointments etc, that is 40miles/64km. There are a couple of very small towns closer- the smallest, where I went to elementary school, has no stores or anything that I know of, the the next larger has a gas station convenience and a bar, I think, we don't go there, though we drive through when we take the smaller highway to Rocky; and a larger small town where we could do basic shopping. but it is almost halfway to Sylvan, at 11 miles, so we don't stop there often. I should make a map :)
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Weather continues to oscillate between above and below average, but mostly not far in either direction. During the cooling to cold months, we often get ground mist forming in late afternoon (when days are short) to evening as the temperature drops. This fog then drifts around, and often leads to rime frosted trees, vegetation and everything else. We also get hoar frost-- simply moisture freezing out of the air onto things, as temps drop- most days in cold season, but that tends to be only near the ground, (rime can be low and/or high) and usually not so thick in this climate.
In any case, I love the foggy, frosty landscapes, especially as it builds up over a few days if the sun doesn't come out or temps don't get much higher.
We had a few of those frosty days, (photos from Nov 17-20) with some nice views at home and on the road, and here's a poem to go with them.. more pics on my blog. https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/11/frost-spirits-winter-poem-and-images.html
Frost spirits visit from across the veil
sliding in unseen, in dark or foggy hours
dancing on branches, and over dried flowers.
Listen close and you may hear them, faintly
frolic, whisper and giggle in the breeze
as they scatter false gems over grass and trees.
The mist obscures the distance and dims
the boundary between our world and theirs-
if you wander too far, enthralled, take care
you may slip,unknowing into that realm
of jewel encrusted trees and blurred forms,
to see the lands of mortal folk nevermore.
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Continuing with views from Nov 17-20 on the road to work, then a couple in front of the house.
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Continuing with views from Nov 17-20 , last one shows a stand of Tamarack, Larix laricina, to the left.
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Continuing with views from Nov 20 - we got a bit of sun/blue sky to set off the frost... last view is the two big Grandmother Spruce just in from the entrance to the acreage, probably the oldest on the property (note rounded crown).
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Tired of winter views yet? Continuing with views from Nov 20, these near sunset, looking across the neighbours' land southwest towards the mountains.
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Your last batch of photos is great. And while your first snow whitened landscapes i'm already dreaming of next spring.
Winter is the season i'd like to remove from the calendar but northern plants need a rest...
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Frost spirits visit from across the veil
sliding in unseen, in dark or foggy hours
dancing on branches, and over dried flowers.
Listen close and you may hear them, faintly
frolic, whisper and giggle in the breeze
as they scatter false gems over grass and trees.
The mist obscures the distance and dims
the boundary between our world and theirs-
if you wander too far, enthralled, take care
you may slip,unknowing into that realm
of jewel encrusted trees and blurred forms,
to see the lands of mortal folk nevermore.
Wow - what a "picture" with the wonderful images from words and camera! Thank you Cohan!
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Thank you for these wonderful photos.
Must have been this year kn January when we had a little snow for some days.... only at the top of the highest elevation in our location, at 500 metres.
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Your last batch of photos is great. And while your first snow whitened landscapes i'm already dreaming of next spring.
Winter is the season i'd like to remove from the calendar but northern plants need a rest...
Thank-you :) I don't mind winter-- no point being upset for 5-8 months...lol.. but I would not complain if I moved someplace with no winter ...lol I would like some kind of season, but I'd be okay with wet and dry seasons, or warm and cool.....lol
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Wow - what a "picture" with the wonderful images from words and camera! Thank you Cohan!
Thanks, Maggi-- I'm glad some folks get some pleasure from them :)
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Thank you for these wonderful photos.
Must have been this year kn January when we had a little snow for some days.... only at the top of the highest elevation in our location, at 500 metres.
Well, that sounds like a pretty easy to take winter ;) I am at near to 1000 m, there are some hills nearby that might go to near 1500 a little distance away... of course we can see the Rocky Mountains, but it is around 90 minutes driving to begin to be in them.
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A couple of random sunset shots-- taken looking across the neighbours' the farm is more forested, doesn't afford views of the mountains or sunset, so I have to wait till late enough in the year that the sun is farther south, and see it over the neighbours'! Nov 30
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Some days I miss the snow in winter other days I don't!
When I look at your photos Cohan, I miss the snow. But when I am out in the garden or driving I don't. And I am glad all the precipitation we have had this fall has been liquid and not solid. Had it been solid I am sure my hose had disappeared in snow.
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Gardening is not even a thought really at this time of year! Bare roads are preferable for sure- luckily our highways are clear the vast majority of the time, backroads have not been bad-- our snow tends to stay, but the amount has not been high, and we have had none really for a couple of weeks- just a cm or less the other day. Happy to have a break from shovelling, and I've been able to get ahead on wood cutting. The warm weather is on its way out now (we were as high as 12/13C for a couple of days, nights always below freezing)- we will have -18C daytime by Sunday.
As I expected to happen sooner or later, though, we have had a couple of episodes of freezing rain (or rain followed immediately by freezing) this year, though not major- as the climate continues to warm, this seems likely to continue. One thing in our favour is that our warmest winter weather is usually dry, and it typically is cold enough to snow when there is precipitation.
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I recently had one of those afternoons in the woods where you keep thinking you see movement, or shapes (other than stumps and logs!) sort of kind of seen.. it inspired this blog post,
https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/12/bird-headed-dogs-in-bush-thoughts-on.html
and the first two photos, which were altered to give the effect I was 'seeing'/sensing/imagining. (1- shadowy figure- Bird Goddess? Someone, something else? 2- Valravn, Cynogriffin, Chamrosh? )The rest of the photos are other views going to/ coming from/ in the areas on the farm (just outside the acreage) where I have been harvesting firewood in the last couple of weeks.
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I don't hope you meet Hufsa in the forest!
(https://lifebyalise.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/the_groke_by_someth.jpg?w=640&h=640)
https://lifebyalise.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/jeg-kommer-tilbakeeeee/ (https://lifebyalise.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/jeg-kommer-tilbakeeeee/)
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No so far, I think I'd remember that one! The other day was a more ordinary sighting-- moose! I'll post that in wildlife thread..
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An advantage, I find, of paying attention to the Equinoxes and Solstices, is that the seasons seem to roll along-- winter does not seem endless when in December we reach the Winter Solstice and we know the days are already going to be getting longer!
All the best to all forumists in this holiday season for many-- mid-winter in the North is a time of celebration and/or introspection for many cultures, and mid-summer in the south is well worth celebrating :) I'm more drawn to Solstice celebrations now than traditional Christmas ideas-- but I still enjoy lights, someone here decorates, and days off are more likely to be right at Christmas than at Solstice, so that's when the cooking happens (no meat here, generally a coconut milk veg curry, slightly candied sweet potatoes, 'stuffing', mashed potatoes etc... and of course, some chocolate ;)
Today a poem for Solstice, some pics of the decorations yet to come.
We cherish the Flame and
celebrate Saule's slow return, but
while we wait let us look inside
our homes and hearts and
appreciate the deep Dark
of Blood, of Night, of Soil, of
the places where Life is born
nurtured, sleeps and waits for
the spark of Light, to blossom again.
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Some recent road views-- nothing too special, just out the car window shots...
New housing development on the edge of Sylvan Lake; this was farmland just a few years ago.
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Just a little farther up the hill from the last view- another area slated for construction, or someone hoping to sell land for that purpose- meantime they have to cut down the poplar suckers periodically...
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Continuing out of town, a golf course, which explains the odd plantings...
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A little farther but sitll very close to town-- I think that row of trees looks like 'Manitoba Maples' Acer negundo, which I *think* is only in this area where planted, fairly common in the town of Sylvan Lake, not seen much farther from town.
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Sylvan Lake is only around 40km from home, but the biome is already shifted toward Aspen Parkland from the Boreal Mixedwoods we have here.. snowmobile tracks on a field..
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We have gotten winter here also but the days are steadily becoming longer so it isn't that bad. We have also had a lot of sun although it has been a bit too cold for me (here at the coast - at the mountain cabin the same temperature had been mild!).
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We have gotten winter here also but the days are steadily becoming longer so it isn't that bad. We have also had a lot of sun although it has been a bit too cold for me (here at the coast - at the mountain cabin the same temperature had been mild!).
We are heading into some colder weather in the next few days- daytime -11 to -17, nights -14 to -23 -- chilly, and the coldest we've seen in a long time, but as far as a winter cold spell, it is not very cold. We still have not even had -30c this winter..
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A few views from an afternoon out cutting firewood on the farm Jan 11; since I am outside more or less up to sunset, several days a week, I am very aware of the lengthening days- amazing how fast it changes. Ironically, winter has never seemed so short as now that I am paying more attention, and noting solstices, equinoxes etc! (Or maybe it's just because I'm getting old??)
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I am enjoying your wintertime scenes. 8)
We could use more of that in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, minus what would be extreme cold even for the Sierra Nevada.
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I am enjoying your wintertime scenes. 8)
We could use more of that in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, minus what would be extreme cold even for the Sierra Nevada.
By our standards it has been very mild overall, with still nothing lower than -25C, I don't recall ever having an entire winter without a few nights below mid -30's( so far, there are still a couple of months left where we could have real cold). Even our current 'cold' spell is not reaching anything respectably cold for a January/Feb cold snap...lol
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I am out cutting firewoods myself these days but I don't bring my camera. I bring my chain saw! And I mostly cut fresh wood so it has to dry for a year before I can use it. Have to fill up the woodstore as we have burnt more this winter than we normally do. No end in sight either.
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I am out cutting firewoods myself these days but I don't bring my camera. I bring my chain saw! And I mostly cut fresh wood so it has to dry for a year before I can use it. Have to fill up the woodstore as we have burnt more this winter than we normally do. No end in sight either.
I take my camera everywhere when I am outside..lol Recently my big 18-200mm zoom lens became jammed, and I can't afford to do anything about it currently--- the bad thing is no telephoto shots- bad for birds and mountains :(. the plus side, is the shorter lens I have on the camera means I can do most of my work outside with the camera inside my coat..lol I never know when a moose may cross my path, or the light/clouds may be extra nice!
We are expecting a couple of nights -31C or so.. it will be the coldest of this winter, but considering we could have nights below -40C. this is still not bad, yet! I have more extra wood stockpiled than ever at this time of year, but 2-4 months of burning left!
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When I checked the 6Z 300mb map this morning I noticed that arctic air was directed in your vicinity. How cold is it getting? I hope that you have plenty of wood cut and ready to burn if it is indeed bitter cold.
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I can't change lens on my camera so telephoto is out of question. Before the digital "revolution" I had a very good camera (Nikormat) and several lenses. I still have it and I also have a few films in a drawer. Had to think a little more before I took a picture at that time!
I am soon running out of dry wood! So maybe I have to buy some. The long cold spell seems to continue at least one more week, possibly longer. Although it is not cold for you, it is cold for me! Inland they have had temperatures between -30C and - 40C. The monthly mean is 6C below normal and where I live it is 3 weeks since we were above zero. The spring is delayed by at least a month.
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Trond-- yes, in film times, I took far fewer photos! I probably take more in a month now than I used to take in a year- -maybe several years!..lol
Robert-- you might have already seen my post in Foliage etc Now-- we've had a week or so with nights from -30 to -40, days -20 to -27C, so real winter! With all the moderate weather we had, I was able to get further ahead on wood than I have been in any other year! I have also been cutting wood on days off as usual, during the cold weather-- there were some modest sized dead trees-standing or fallen, on the acreage that I was deliberately saving all winter for either very cold days when I don't want to have to go far out in the bush, or in spring when my paths melt; most of these were spruce, which I use only when it is cold- mostly -20C or colder. So I was able to get out for moderate amounts of time -- 1.5 to 2 hrs, and get enough wood cut for a day or two, between the stuff I left on the acreage, and some pieces I had stockpiled over the months-- I try to bring back more logs from the woods on the farm than what I will cut in a given day, so I end up with some extra. I still have a fair bit left, and still quite a bit fully cut as well. I'm anticipating being able to stop for the season earlier than usual, so when my paths start to turn to mud and water, I won't have to go out onto the farm anymore!
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Some recent views-- after our February cold spell ( some nights below -30C to near -40C/F and days as low as -27C) we have been mostly back to moderate to mild temps, a few minor snowfalls. Not super warm for the season, but fewer cold days /nights between. Snow was never heavy this year, looks like it will be one of the easiest years I've seen for getting the driveway melted and dry (usually weeks of melt, water, ice, mud a the melt progresses from higher/summier parts through shade and lower sections).
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Still lots of snow in places where it settles more deeply, dry for a long time already in those sections where snow never lasts. Overall, there has been snow in some spots since mid Oct. My wood gathering in the bush is ahead, I might already have enough hauled back tot he acreage for the rest of the season, if not there are still some things close by I can get. The longer paths onto the farm are not great anymore, with sections turning to mud/water, other parts already bare-- not great for pulling a sled (such as you see in the last photo-outside and in those woods to the right is where I've been gathering wood, more bare areas in there than not!)
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I have always loved the spring when the snow starts receding! Here at the coast it rarely happens as the snow that falls one day usually melts the next. This year the snow lasted for more than a month but it wasn't more than 10cm so when we went to our cabin for a week all the snow at home was gone when we came back. Have to go to the cabin again to see the snow melting ;D
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I have always loved the spring when the snow starts receding! Here at the coast it rarely happens as the snow that falls one day usually melts the next. This year the snow lasted for more than a month but it wasn't more than 10cm so when we went to our cabin for a week all the snow at home was gone when we came back. Have to go to the cabin again to see the snow melting ;D
It's a mixed pattern here, as some spots have had snow since mid-October and others (sometimes only a few metres apart) have been bare most of the winter. Of course the places that last longest are on the north side of woods, low areas and open 'smooth' places -- and where it is piled from shovelling! Now some places are very dry, others soggy, and some have snow that will still be there for weeks- not counting any new snow that falls, as it can for a long time yet. The water world season was not that exciting this year-- still standing water in some fields etc, but the amounts were not great this year and it does not take long to soak in.
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A few shots from yesterday afternoon on the acreage as I gathered dry branches for fire starting. We had a few days with some snow, very strong winds, and some seasonally lowish temperatures ( a couple of days near or below freezing, with a couple of nights to -15C or so) warming again now, yesterday was between, but no major wind, and mostly sunny.
1,2 Poplars and spruce mostly
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3,4 some willows -- the twisty, gnarly stuff- showing what our native willows do with some age and protection (many are in grazed/heavily browsed places and don't get large, and/or are occasionally cleared to improve grazing) none are large trees, but if they have a bit of something to sprawl against - each other, poplars, spruce) they can get to 20-30 feet tall at a guess, with the thickest trunks maybe 6-8 inches diameter. Often these larger trunks fall partly or completely, new stems may come out of them, or they can die completely with new stems coming from the roots. These bigger ones tend to be a tangle of live and dead branches and trunks-- lots of good firewood/starters in there!
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5 spruce and clouds
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While many folks are dreaming of spring weather that's more like summer, I enjoy the real boreal spring- wind, the return of dramatic clouds (don't get them in winter), warm sunny pockets separated by chilly shadows and icy breezes! Yesterday was just that! Lots of sky drama, bluster, occasional drifting flakes, thunderstorms elsewhere in the province, but not here, some graupel ..
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While many folks are dreaming of spring weather that's more like summer, I enjoy the real boreal spring- wind, the return of dramatic clouds (don't get them in winter), warm sunny pockets separated by chilly shadows and icy breezes! Yesterday was just that! Lots of sky drama, bluster, occasional drifting flakes, thunderstorms elsewhere in the province, but not here, some graupel ..
We have had just that kind of weather all April! Snowstorms and hailstorms included. So now I am longing for warmer weather!
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We have had just that kind of weather all April! Snowstorms and hailstorms included. So now I am longing for warmer weather!
ours has been all mixed together-- days up to 19C, nights to -10-often one after the other, with some days barely above freezing, and snow several times (enough to shovel in places)- quite normal, just seems later because March was dry. Snow forecast again today, but none so far..
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My excitement for the week- heck for the year! I hadn't seen a Calypso bulbosa on the farm for a number of years- I'd found one when I moved back, but it disappeared some time ago- I'd hunted for other patches unsuccessfully over the years, but hadn't looked in a few years. They tend to grow here in rather unstable environments- open mixed woods, mesic/moist, and there are spruce growing in and shading more, poplars and birch falling, cattle doing their thing. The other day I was out for a short walk on the farm, and as I was returning, thought I should look around in some suitable habitat- tricky to find them as they are only a few inches tall when they first begin flowering, and blend well with surrounding leaves etc, unless you get a glimpse of that hot pink!
So, I was surprised and thrilled to find this plant with one flower and couple more buds-- no more than 30 metres from the gate between the acreage and the farm!
Notice the bee tucked in on the last 2 pics-- didn't see it until I looked at the images on the computer.. I was wondering about the flowers being so downward oriented, (though the brightest pink faces up) -guess it doesn't stop the bees finding it!
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Cohan, that find would have made my year as well! Just the most gorgeous little orchid!
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This is a very nice find! I have never seen it in flower as it doesn't grow in Norway. People are always looking for it in the eastern part of the country as it is common several places in Sweden and Finland, just across the border.
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Cohan, that find would have made my year as well! Just the most gorgeous little orchid!
Yes, I was especially happy after not seeing it for years :)
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This is a very nice find! I have never seen it in flower as it doesn't grow in Norway. People are always looking for it in the eastern part of the country as it is common several places in Sweden and Finland, just across the border.
There are some cacti like that in southern parts of B.C. and maybe Alberta-- well known across the border in U.S. not confirmed in Canada
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Air quality advisories in 7 provinces, 1 territory in Canada due to wildfire smoke from various places (in Alberta, we are getting it from west, east and south, as well as some in province). It has varied day to day here, though quite thick most recent days. Some fine drizzle this morning may have cleared the air a little, temporarily, still cloudy.
These photos are from the car pics to/from work in Rocky Mountain House several days, different times; I like the moody landscapes, but wonder how the animals in the field feel about breathing it day and night? Obviously not good for those with respiratory issues! Noticed when leaving work the other day that my mask helped keep the smoke out!( still using at work, and when I shop etc- otherwise there are not people around when I'm at home etc!)
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Cohan,
So far this season the synoptic weather pattern has been predominantly out of the SW and S. The major wildfires have been down wind from our home in Sacramento. For a number of years we have endured weeks of dense smoke during the summer and autumn months. The xenobiotic compounds in the smoke had a major impact on a number of plant species in our garden. I hope that we can remain smoke free this summer and autumn. The continuing record heat is having its impact on our garden. The record average high temperature for July might be broken this year. Hopefully the smoke will soon clear in your region and the plants in your garden will be unscathed by the smoke.
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Thanks, Robert-- the heaviest smoke was mostly a few days, so far, but it has been around at a lower density, and /or mostly higher up- so lots of visible haze/orange sun, but not the smoke smell at ground level. We are headed into another hot spell, but doesn't look like we will be near any records this time. Def more warm days by our standards since early July than usual, and drier, though not like many areas. Crops still looking good.
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Cohan,
In our region, the synoptic pattern has been out of the SE to SW all of July. This has kept the smoke out of our area; however the other day it was very smoky. This beats 6 to 8 weeks, or more, of day-after-day dense smoke that has been the pattern most summers and autumn for the past few years.
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The smoke started later this year, since spring has more moisture than some years for parts of B.C. and Alberta.. since early July though, it has been pretty steady, with some days of 'not too much smoke' many days with mostly high smoke, and some days with quite a bit at ground level- but never really gone. It seems it has interfered with rain, as they say smoke particles cause droplets to form very small, which then rise, rather than fall-- so many forecasts of rain that did not happen! Still not super dry in my area, all green, yet, but hoping for real rain soon... this week had lots of rain forecast, then they took it all away...lol
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It's funny how it always seems that whatever is happening with the weather is going to go on happening! We had a relatively wet (in a good way) spring and early summer, then late June it turned around and we had an unusually (record breaking?) long hot spell (not as extreme as many places), and the wildfire smoke seemingly endlessly. Even after the real heat ended, we were trending a little above average, and below average rainfall (again, not so dry as some other areas, even in Alberta).
So, looking back on pictures from Summer Solstice (I never got the poem and extra pics posted, at the time, had to get them done now, as I have another seasonal observance to get to!)- it seemed like that green, moist time was sooo long ago! Well, in recent days we've had another turn around- a few decent rains scattered over a few days, then yesterday off an on rain with some heavy periods, so things are nice and wet this morning! More chances of rain this week, days 12-21C nights 4-8 (we had 0-2 the other night), averages 21/7.
Anyway, here are a few pics from June, as well as a poem, link to a blog post for more pics, and last year's Solstice post for more thoughts on the subject..
Fecund hopeful midsummer days, as
Saule reaches her Northern Journey's end.
Twilight lingers late,
to a chorus of insects, frogs, and birds
working hard through long days and warm nights.
Thunderstorms gather, wander by, or linger,
rumbling, shaking, drenching
sun soaked soil or chilly nights.
A verdant flood covers meadow and wood
painted with drifts of flowers,
humming with a million wings,
alive with crawling, running, chewing, mating
egg-laying, young rearing, grazing, browsing, hunting.
All the stories, all the struggles,
all the business of life-
compressed,
into a few months of warmth and food.
Glorious, riotous, with just a touch of-
desperation.
Hurry, hurry, only so many warm days before
Sun turns to head South, again,
and nights once more fall long, and cold.
blog:
https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2021/08/summer-solstice-2021-beginning-of-end.html
Last year's:
https://cohanmagazine.blogspot.com/2020/06/summer-solstice-2020.html
1- Allium with Geum coccineum
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2- Aquilegia ex A ecalcarata seed-- clearly not that species, but a lovely hybrid! Very deep, rich colour
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3- same seed batch but this one looks like Aquilegia /Semiaquilegia ecalcarata- much smaller plant, and of course, no spurs
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4- Oxytropis campestris in the garden ex B.C. seed
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Well, I am well behind on this, and may try to get some missed summer content added later, but for the moment, we dive straight into winter! After a mostly mild autumn, with little to no early snow, nothing lasting until mid-November ( and then very patchy, unlike some recent years) and generally mild temps until early December. Unusual late rains and melting of occasional snow led to some icey times.
We then entered a spell of mostly below average temperatures, with only a few scattered days at or above average. This morning we reached our coldest so far this year -39C(far from record breaking, we could have been below -40 in November, but had barely had -20C) with a forecast high today of -30 plus a light wind, which quickly makes it feel much colder!
Snow has been frequent, though not heavy, so we may be around average coverage for this time- around a foot, more in low areas, less in those spots under trees etc where cover is always light
I'm heading out to do some wood cutting, but won't stay out long, and should hopefully mostly be out of the wind. Pics from the trip to work yesterday, Dec 26, when it was -32 on the road... Between Condor and Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada
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Cohan,
I enjoyed the climatic report from your region. It is all very interesting.
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Thanks, Robert-- always interesting to know what is going on in other places! WE had a warm-up for a couple of days, then back to cold-- days in the -20sC this week again, with some nights below -30 to near -40. Looks like next Sunday we will get a more significant, lasting warm-up-- we are used to cold weather, but here near the foothills, we expect ups and downs, not ever staying either up or down...lol mostly below average to well below since early Dec is a long spell for us...
I'm looking forward to the warmer weather to get ahead on wood cutting...lol
On the way to work, December 31
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After a cold Dec, Jan was mostly warm, and apart from several cold days last week, Feb is continuing above to well above avg up to 10C or more some days; expecting a cool down next week, but only to something nearer average- a few degrees below freezing daytime.
I enjoy the sunset views over the winter-- I can see it across the neighbours' property-- in summer sunset is too late, and I have surrendered outdoors to mosquitoes by that hour, also, as it moves north, I can no longer see it-- it is blocked by woodland on the farm. Some of the whiteness of these views from the beginning of the month is already diminished, but the snow will not be completely gone anytime soon.
Other views at other times of day in the bush on the farm, where I am out cutting firewood (harvesting deadwood) on my days off, all winter!
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Cohan,
Fantastic photographs! 8)
I especially like the scene with the Rocky Mountains in the background.
Thank you for sharing the photogrpahs.
Stay warm, it looks cold. :)