Fall color

Wenesday evening, Thursday morning the temperatures cooled after a long summer of heat.  Later on Thursday, I noticed that the leaves on the trees further up the mountain have changed.  Some of the color may be due to the lack of rain,  but many of the higher altitude Maples have Fall color.

Zig Zag Watercolor Books

A Monarch Returns

Over the last few weeks, I have seen flashes of orange and black butterflies.  Friday in South Ogden, I enjoyed watch a Monarch butterfly visit the flowers in the garden  I was visiting.  It has been quite a while since Monarchs have been seen in Ogden during the summer.  Welcome back!  The ecological programs to save these butterflies must be working.  Let's keep them going.

Finally

Summer rain finally came to Ogden Canyon.  Yesterday, we had off and on showers with some thunder.

Heat!

Nine  days of 100 or hotter temperatures.  Way too hot!

Rain?

High level gray clouds a July rain would be appreciated.

Twilight Moon

Just stepped out to see the periwinkle blue sky of twilight.  Venus is shinning bright, and nearby the moon smiles like Alice's Chesshire cat.

Sunflower blooms

This week,  early July, I saw the first roadside blooms of sunflowers.

Moonlight

Bright moon, full mon!  I awoke early this morning bathed in a puddle of your light.

Garden Candy

Fresh green peas snapped from a garden vine, eaten fresh, sweet, better than candy.  This year, I have had the largest harvest, yet. Yum!

Canyon sounds

The clap of thunder and whispering of the wind settle with the setting of the sun.  The night brings the symphony of insects.

Dawn Song

It is 5am the sky has changed from dark to blue gray.  The birds have begun their warm up chirps in anticipation of the morning dawn song.  An aria to be enjoyed this and other mornings throughout Spring and Summer.

Hands

I noticed my father's hands yesterday, and held one.  At ninety-three his hands are slender, stiff.  Their skin thin, like parchment, his blood pooled just below making his hands appear bruised.  They are soft hands, rarely used now.  In my childhood, they were clean hands.  As a pharmacist my father rarely did any work that would make his hands dirty.  Before they were the hands of a pilot that flew corsairs in the Pacific theater, a subject rarely discussed, a time he is not particularly proud of what he was required to do.

My mother's hands are beaten and battered, still showing signs of their strength.  They are bent with arthritic knuckles.  These hands raised and played with children.  These hands build rock walls and patios, planted and still plant flowers in her garden.  They have cook and cleaned for years.  They have changed diapers, and cared for a daughter who died from lung cancer.  They are hands that tell the story of this mother's life.

With my hands, I work a relative clean job requiring mostly typing.  I am not afraid to get my hands dirty.  I tend to get paint or ink all over them when I do something creative beyond typing.  My life has not included the raising of children, unless you consider playing with a niece, nephew or one of my dogs.  I did notice yesterday a bump on my index finger knuckle, may be the start of arthritis.

Salt Lake Trib article about Ogden Canyon

This article has some historic photos of Ogden Canyon
http://www.sltrib.com/csp/mediapool/sites/sltrib/pages/gallery.csp?cid=2714243&pid=2591728

Play with watercolors

 A Facebook reminder popped up with this painting that  I painted last year while playing with watercolors.

A little longer

Some mornings,  the sheets are just the perfect softness and warmth that all you wish to do is snuggle in a little deeper and sleep a little longer.

Through my Window

Through my bedroom in the western sky a golden-orange moon shines through the dark branches of an evergreen tree.  Later, I watch as blue gray clouds obscure the moon before moving on.

Ogden Marathon

Today's marathoners are experiencing a windy, wet run through the canyon.

Canyon view

 A perfectly green Spring day!

Collection

We all have collections of things.  I have a collection of lapel pins.  Over the years when my parents traveled they brought home a pin, as they were small and easily packed in a suitcase.  I of course had added to the collection when I see one that I like.  I like to wear them to work, as my boss likes to notice them.  He has begun adding more pins to my collection.