A Late Summer Stroll

Late summer is a languid time of year,

here in the foothills of the Cascade mountains

of western Washington state.

It is so quiet that you can hear the dry leaves drop, 

the buzz of an insect as it flies by, 

and the fluffing of feathers in the underbrush. 

Something that the robins appreciate as they listen 

for grubs and worms. 

Can you see Mr. Robin on the fence rail?

Red Huckleberries brighten up the shadows.

They grow in the highly acidic soil

around rotting cedar stumps. 

A favorite of the birds - thimble-berries 

ripen above their large, maple-like leaves. 

These form large colonies in the shade of the 

forest floor. 

Whitey Bear hears a stick snap.......

We all go on high alert. 

It is just a small herd of deer across the way. 

We relax and move on, leaving them in peace. 

Can you see Charlie, the little black dachshund that

I am pet-sitting, down along the bend? 

He is always in motion and I am unable to get a clear 

photo of him! He is searching for critter burrows. 

He loves to dig :) 

He will be going home soon and we are going to miss him. 

He's been such a happy little presence. 

The blackberry blossoms are pink in the shade......

and white in the sunshine. 

The blackberries are sweet and delicious

this year, despite the drought. 

I am not the only one who thinks so! 

It's always nice to stop for a quick snack :)

Douglas spirea is a native shrub with delightful, 

fuzzy flowers that also dry well for arrangements. 

Ocean spray is a tall, arching shrub with white, frothy 

flowers resembling 'ocean spray'. 

The flowers also dry beautifully to a lovely 

parchment color. 

The slender branches are extremely strong 

and were used by native peoples to make arrow shafts. 

An interesting moth on a mossy rock. 

It was on the large size - about an inch and a half. 

Nature provides wonderful camouflage. 

Dried seed heads of the wildflower, avens,

back-lit by the late afternoon sun. 

Oregon grape ripens to a dusky blue, 

hence the name. These are edible and 

grow on a low, arching, evergreen plant

with toothed leaves. These form lovely 

colonies and are used in native landscaping. 

Here they grow alongside my driveway. 

Tiger swallowtails enjoy the fragrant butterfly bush

growing along the edge of the clearing. 

As we get close to home, we see the apples 

are ripening. 

These are left to the wild things, as they 

are too wormy :(

The tansy is blooming, but has fallen here and there

from our recent rain. 

No matter........it is harvested for its pungent leaves

to use for moth sachets. 

The button-like blossoms dry nicely, too. 

A cute grasshopper keeps its eye on me

as I take his cameo. 

I enjoy sitting here under the shade of the cedar tree

on a hot afternoon. 

You can see how brown the grass is from our recent drought. 

We went 55 days without rain, breaking the record. 

Our walk is over - we arrive at the gate. 

The lower area around the house is completely

fenced to keep the dogs corralled. 

The house sits behind a cedar grove. 

You can see dry needles are already falling

around the base of this beauty. 

A ground-beetle along the walkway. 

This one is not alive. 

I suspect a dog stepped on it. 

Poor thing. 

These beetles eat grubs. 

My side window with pots of red impatiens,

blue lobelia and creeping Jenny. 

Ramblin' Man took a hanging basket off the deck

that had seen better days and plopped it

into my little red wheelbarrow to move it

elsewhere. It looked so pretty, I told him to 

leave it there. 

I found the bench arbor last year at the end of the

season deeply discounted, and we put it together 

this spring. I am coaxing a honeysuckle vine to grow

up the side. 

It matches my rose arbor. 

The roses are tired and have stopped blooming

for now. 

Mt. Rainier's snows have been melting, 

exposing its rock face. 

Did you notice the crow at the top of the tree?

He is waiting for his friends.......

And off they go as the setting sun 

reflects on mountain snows. 

The end of another lovely day. 

Time to go inside as the moths begin to play. 

xoxo

Thank-you for coming along on my Late Summer Stroll, 

dear friends. 

And thank-you for your always kind comments. 

xoxo

Today I am linking with:

Saturday's Critters

Won't you join the fun?

xoxo