I took this photo yesterday... but, by today, most of the orange flowers were withering. I was grateful that they'd bloomed at all in these harsh conditions.
I'm sorry to be so harsh but many of the nearby campers just do NOT care about whether they destroy our home. Our county and National Forest have a fire and shooting ban in place - yet people are breaking it every single day. We locals have organized patrols of camping areas, and it's been worthwhile given how many unattended fires and crazies shooting rifles we find.
Back to happy things... As our orange flowers are fading, the blues are coming on. Unbelievably, we've had a banner year for Blue Flag Irises. Entire meadows have a bluish shimmer from the bloom of irises.
Shyla loves playing in them, mostly because they bloom in wet places where she can cool off. Do you see that muddy paw?
It is a rare year when both irises and my beloved Columbines are blooming at the same time but it's happened this year! I don't let Shyla go near the Columbines because they are too fragile. Here's one of the gems that has just opened in the past week.
Please keep "no fires" thoughts going for us. It makes my heart break to see the fiery destruction out near Durango. I want to keep enjoying the exquisite beauty of our local forests, meadows, and mountains for a long time!
Hari om
ReplyDeletePrayers going up! I adore columbines and the Edinburgh garden has a fair few! YAM xx
they are beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteI have been praying for your safety from those fires. I planted wildflower seeds in a planter and the past few days the tickseed, brilliant yellow makes me happy when I go out, look out the door, look out the window... today there are 20 yellow blooms.. glad you got your little garden to grow. flowers make me happy and so does that muddy paw
ReplyDeleteWe have our paws crossed for all of the people displaced from the fires. Our hope is you never have to deal with such a terrible thing.
ReplyDeleteI love columbine too. People are idiots, and it is so maddening the amount of fires started every year by the idiots. I hope your part of the world has a fire free summer.
ReplyDeleteYour neighborhood camping areas patrol is an excellent idea. Too bad it's necessary, but you're right, not everyone recognizes the fire danger. We are keeping fingers and paws crossed for you all - and hoping you get a good downpour one of these days!
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
Such beautiful photos. Those fires are so scary, prayers from all of us.
ReplyDeleteWe are so very sorry about the fires. Just last year on June 19 we landed in Denver, to begin a 7 day vacation in Colorado and Utah. We visited Moab for the first few days and just this morning I saw they were evacuating folks from the lovely city. Later during the week we road the train from Silverton to Durango. Words cannot describe the beauty we saw in a weeks time. While we road the train there was a helicopter flying over head to make sure not sparks from the train ignited. If I live to 100 I will never understand the lack of respect some humans have for their fellow humans and Mother Earth and the beauty she shares with us.
ReplyDeleteYour fields of posies are beautiful and I pray they stay that way
Hugs madi and mom
I've recently noticed irises blooming near my home. Such a fun surprise!
ReplyDeleteMy asthma symptoms have been acting up after the pine pollen and grass explosion, and now there's smoke, so I've mostly avoided the outdoors this week as a precaution. It doesn't take long for my summer "SAD" to kick in, and I've been feeling bummed out. Hoping for some rain this weekend, because the whole landscape needs it so badly, but also for selfish reasons.
Thank you to you and your neighbors for the campfire patrols.
We hope those fires stay far away from you, and better still, that campers will become more responsible with their fires.
ReplyDeleteSo the orange is fading, we can still enjoy the gorgeous lavenders and blues:)
Waving back at you, Shyla.
Wouldn't it be nice if the idiot fire starters developed a few brains! Your flowers are just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHeard some of the smoke was moving in from Wyoming and yesterday heard that the Silverthorne fire was human caused. So sad to think those morons are among us. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. It's gonna be a long summer I'm afraid at this rate.
ReplyDeleteFires after campers leave, I get so angry. Beautiful blue flowers. Hope they continue for a good while.
ReplyDeleteThe blue irises are gorgeous, a nice change of color and great with all the green.
ReplyDeleteInteresting - I was photographing blue flags here yesterday when piper and I went for a walk by the pond! I'm starting to photograph plants with an eye to painting or drawing them at some point, since a lot of my sketching seems to be of plants.
ReplyDeleteOh, and some of the columbines are still blooming here, also - I found a purple one by my front step this week!
I hope you get some rain.
I sure hope they get the fires under control soon...so very scary!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of you the other day...our Columbines are starting to bloom too!
xoxo,
Jakey, Arty & Rosy
so incredibly pretty!
ReplyDeleteWe have had a couple of small fires started near here - human caused. How can people be so careless?
ReplyDeletehugs
Hazel & Mabel
We too love blue irises and columbines!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! Those Blue Flag Irises are GORGEOUS! And Shyla waving just is over the top sweet!
ReplyDeleteKZK