July 8, 2016 Busy Summer Days!

On this particular Sunday afternoon, recently, Betsy and I were enjoying a day by one of the inland lakes instead of Lake Superior.  It was warm and humid ~ and I was entertaining ideas of going swimming for the first time for the season.  It was quite windy when I left here so I didn't bring along the paddle board or kayak.   But, between the strong wind blowing in right there and a lot of dark clouds intermixed with the fluffy ones, it wasn't that warm.  So ~ no swims for me that day!
We have gotten through the busiest time of the summer for me ~ now that the Hovland Arts Festival is done with for another summer.   I have to say I was feeling a bit stressed about pulling that off this year.  The dates for it are put out there well in advance to every one who is helping or in on it.  Right up to the last couple of days, the gravel piles were still not leveled and there was no place to park.  On the other side, the construction of the new roof on the church was making for shingles and trailers and stuff parked everywhere.  I was getting pretty hot and bothered!   The crew wasn't going to be working on the church over that weekend so they kindly got all their stuff moved.   On the other side of the town hall, things weren't progressing so well.   I finally had to make some calls and get a fire lit under them.   That project was let almost a full 4 years ago.  It was supposed to be done by the HAF last year.   Then, the commissioner told me it would get done right after our last years HAF.   Well, here we were, at this point, less than a week to our HAF this year.  Nothing was yet done.  NOTHING!!!  Would you be running out of patience yet?   I told them that the kids in the community were going to be all grown up before they ever got the project done at the rate it was going.   Plus, at this point, I wasn't the only person upset about it.   Well ~ I started "squeaking" and part of it got sort of done.  Long way to go tho.  Now that the others have started to speak up as well ~ maybe, just maybe, they can finish the project.  The HAF went fine and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.   So ~ now I can go in and do my volunteer duties at the Grand Marais Art Fair this weekend!

Getting to other things at present ~ summer flowers!   We have had a lot of rain and they couldn't be much prettier this summer.  There are lots and they are thick.  It is just a pleasure to see them all.   I love wildflowers.  This is a great year for anyone who does to get out there and enjoy them all.

Yesterday, as I hit the shore ~ first thing I noticed was the bright orange of the wood lilies.   They are one of my very favorite.   The ninebarks are just starting to open now also.  They are one of my favorite woody flowering shrubs on the shore of Lake Superior.  They are bold and beautiful!  I found some new, up to 6" tall plants with a light purple flower too ~ yesterday.  I still haven't looked them up to see what I discovered.  I have been going there for years and never saw them before.

Another spring favorite is the pitcher plants.  There is a bog not too far away I love to go to because it has so many wonderful bog flowers in.  That was outdoing itself this year too.  The pitchers had just started seriously blooming and there were hundreds of them popping above the moss.   The dragon's mouth orchids were also in full bloom.   They are so gorgeous.  The yellow potentilla was blooming and were the sundews, cranberries, and buckbeans.  It was truly a sight to see.   Of course, to go to the bog and see the flowers, you have to dress for it.  Water is always at least ankle deep and it's half way to your knees in many places.  Always is a wonderful place to explore ~ at any rate!

Of course, along with flowers comes butterflies.  It doesn't seem to me there are as many around this year.  But, I have seen a goodly number of these.

I'll end with a shot of some of the tall grasses that are now "flowering" and catching some sun's rays.
Summer is here ~ in all it's beauty!   Enjoy it!