Busy Night Creatures

 Lots of action in the front flower bed at night. Spiders, praying mantis and swallowtail butterfly caterpillar.

Fern Lake Trail, Rocky Mountain Natl. Park, June 23

Ari and I hiked the Fern Lake Trail on the east side of the park, through the burned forest and to Cub Lake. The fall fire was intense; it destroyed thousands of trees and a few bridges. 

Cub Lake, filled with lily pads

 This burned bark looks like a bear cub clinging to the trunk.

Animals at Rocky Mountain National Park, June 21-25, 2013

Life Around the Yard, Baldwin City, KS

Mother rabbit

Baby purple Martins

Baby swallows--mainly unsociable

Geese and goslings

Probably a grass spider. On the lily pads

Stinkhorn Mushrooms

 These interesting fungi popped up several times late spring. While planting peppers, I found little white balls that at first I thought were old mothballs, but the orange-stalked, brown and creamy tops emerge from them. They don't last long--they wilt within a few hours. In the meantime, flies and doodlebugs seem to love the smelly topping.

Seed Time

I started some cilantro in my Aerogarden, but will need much more. Josh would eat it with everything.

Taking stock of seeds. I have lots left from last year, as well as seeds I saved from pepper and squash plants. Here are non-GMO seeds from Annie's, Victory, Baker Creek, Pepper Joe, Penny's Tomatoes, Seed Savers' Exchange, Botannical Interests

Snow Day

Top picture 3:00 Wed. Bottom at 12:30 Thursday. Snow is about six inches deep with some drifts 3 feet high. Lots of wind and that may be why it did not accumulate on the porch cover. Ice is stuck to the window.

Dry Wetlands

I ran throught the Baker wetlands this week. It is almost completely dry. Compare the top two pictures with the bottom ones I took a few years ago in "A Tour of the Baker Wetlands" http://www.aihd.ku.edu/ponds/BakerWetlands.html