K and the days of summer

K has been showing definite signs of improvement, moving with more enthusiasm and living life with a spark of excitement. Our very short mountain bike rides have commenced (with prior approval by our trusty vet).

Her kidneys still seem to be sore which I wish that we could resolve. I'm trying to learn to live with the uncertainty and just enjoy each day.

K's resurgence is just in time because I'm hearing rumors that some of our favorite alpine trails are finally losing their snow cover. I hope that K will be able to join me for some thin air hikes way up above the trees in the near future.

The wildflowers, like the Marsh Marigolds above, should be spectacular after the soaking of snow melt and our daily thunder storms.

The bluebirds have loved the recent wet weather - this male was taking a tasty morsel to his nestlings.

The mud has also provided some tracking opportunities. A bear walked through a mud flat and left beautiful tracks.

I wonder if it was the same bear as visited us last week. This biggish bear persisted for a long time trying to wrench our base pole for our bear-proof birdfeeders out of the ground. His visit was during a deluge of rain so the photos are a bit blurry.

Despite his persistence, this brute left without any bird food in his stomach. The Runner, who designed our bearproof birdfeeding station, wins another round of IQ testing against the bear!

The bear was not a good sport about losing this round. As he departed our clearing, he knocked over a bear proof trash can to vent his frustration.

It's truly summer. Flowers are bursting from every crevice of the forest, and bears seem like a daily part of our lives. I cherish each day of our very brief summer!

P.S. Yesterday's mystery flower was a Spotted Coral Root (Corallorhiza maculata), an orchid that thrives in pine forests.