More Monarda

Will she ever quit talking about that dang Monarda? Well, maybe eventually, but right now it's just so lovely I can't quit looking at it.

See?

And from the weather report, blue, blue skies, glowing green plants, and tiny little harmless white clouds. Life is good.

So much June going on

I'm getting behind on everything except going to work.

OK, the weather. It was interesting again a while back. We had one evening of a squall line slowly moving in and starting some ruckus just as I was supposed to going to sleep.

This same storm system brought some tornadoes to Nebraska, but I didn't hear about any major damage.

I have some Sungold tomatoes, but they want to ripen one at a time, which isn't very conducive to gathering in a salad's worth of them, so I guess I need more plants. But see,

I ate this one already, plucked one more today and am waiting on the other three that are almost there. Go, Sungold, go!

In other news, the Monarda is blooming, and now I know that it's Monarda fistulosa. This is the result of the tiny little plants I was given on my visit to the Akin Prairie in Douglas County last year. First picture, the head almost open the other day.

Then yesterday, here we are!

So happy to be out in the sun.

Merry Midsummer Mondarda!

Stella!

Stella de Oro, she is. These prolific daylilies burst into bloom seemingly all at the same time, all over Topeka, yesterday. It's amazing. They are very eye-catching en masse, and they are massed all over the place. Apparently a very popular planting in these parts.

I told Kathy I was going to drive all over Topeka and take a picture of every place I saw the Stella de Oro. I didn't do that, but I did get these down in front of the Blackbird today.

Stella de Oro, Star of Gold. Star of the show, right here.

"I'm ready for my close-up." Glad to oblige, beautiful Stella.

The Water is Wide--Kaw River State Park, June 03 2011

Last time we visited the Kaw River State Park, a couple of weeks ago, the river was fairly low. Not so today. After the rains of earlier this week, it is definitely not low now.

The water had been up nearly to the top of the boat ramp.

It looks good this way! And it actually moves.

Another pretty nice view.

The water is wide, I cannot get o'er...

A cottonwood at the river's edge.

The water almost looks inviting, it was in the lower 90s out there today. Whew. Shade was nice!

View from a little ways up toward a trail head. We weren't really into walking trails today, though.

Lovely, lovely leaves of three. Thanks to the rhyme, we let them be. One of my European friends says "but they look so innocent!" Uh, no.

On the way out of the trail head, there was some lovely flowering grass that needed its picture taken. I should know this, it's very common, but I can't think of the name right now.

It was a nice little trip, good to see a different face of the Kaw this time.