July 19, 2013 -- Bouncing Bet

Love this wildflower, even though it's weedy. Encountered it both in Idaho and Virginia this week. I call it Bouncing Bet, but it's also called Soapwort, because the leaves have a lathering agent. Dropped it into this old bottle with a big Ligularia leaf.

July 18, 2013 -- white sweet clover

This is one of the rewards of going on vacation: white sweet clover blooming in the lawn. Usually we cut the grass too soon for the clover to bloom. And the backyard smells so very sweet. At first I didn't know where the fragrance was coming from; then I put my little clover bouquet up to my nose and realized it was the clover.

The cucumber is a consequence of going on vacation, too. All the veggies are oversized, because no one was around to pick them smaller.

July 17. 2013 -- tent windowsills

Took these photos a few days ago, but only now have I found time to post them. It's hard to find a windowsill when you're sleeping in a tent, but this was my best attempt. I rolled the window flap down then sort of stretched it tight using the zipper. First photo is nightshade in a beer can. Second is Idaho wildflowers tied to one of my granddaughter's sneakers. If you look hard, you can see the Snake River through the window in the second photo.

July 15, 2013 -- Idaho wildflowerse

Picked these wildflowers on the Idaho ranch where we're staying. See the aspens reflected in the window? The wildflowers I can identify include cinquefoil, Indian paintbrush, lupine, sulfur buckwheat, butter 'n eggs, common mullein, skunk cabbage, yarrow, wild geranium, dock, but it's the six I can't identify that interest me most. Hope to have figured out what they are by the end of the day.

Date ? -- Aspen

I honestly don't know the date. I've been rafting on the Snake River in Idaho for several days and just re-entered semi-civilization. I photographed some fun arrangements on tent "windowsills" while rafting, but they'd take too long to transfer from camera. I'll upload them later. For now, here's photo I took with my iPad a minute ago. This is the windowsill if an Idaho cabin where I've been sitting on the front porch enjoying the sound of the wind in the aspens. Love the broken windowpane (upper right) and the coffee mug, but without the sound and the motion, the aspen twig seems sort of static. WITH the wind, it's a thing of beauty.

July 9, 2013 -- hosta flowers

Hosta flowers, river oats, and Queen Anne's lace--so summer.

July 8, 2013 -- grasses "going by"

I pulled these grasses out of another arrangement because the flowers they were with had died, and, in truth, the stems of these grasses were getting a little mushy themselves. But I liked the way their leaves were fading to yellow, so I decided to give them one last chance to shine, on the windowsill.