I’m going to play ‘catch up’, and include photos I’ve taken over the past two weeks. This is a long entry with a lot of photos.
AURORA BOREALIS
On the early morning of the 11th - the day before I left Fairbanks for Madison - the aurora made an appearance. It was a surprise to see them, as the forecast wasn’t calling for much activity at all. It was one of those “stay up all night” episodes, and while getting ready for bed, I glanced out the window and saw green bands in the sky.
It was very cold, and I scrambled to pull on layers of clothing over my pajamas. I decided to set up my camera on the back deck and shoot the sky over the yard. I’m glad I made that decision, as I had to run inside and warm up my hands periodically. I think the temperature was at the -38F mark.
The bedroom light was on, and I like the way you can see the bedroom window aglow in this photo, with the lights overhead:
The third photo below, was taken through the sliding glass doors. I was so cold, I came inside and thought I’d try shooting through the back door. (You can see the imprint of bird feathers on the left top side of the glass from a recent crash. Don’t worry, the bird is OK)
(more…)
As we approach June 21st and summer solstice, the sun barely goes below the horizon. Even when the sun does go down, darkness does not fall. There are no stars in the sky, and the moon is a white orb against blue-gray dusk. I find myself staying up later… midnight, 1am, sometimes 2am and later, because I lose track of time. However, I’m sleeping much better, which some might find odd considering darkness never comes. Gone is the insomnia of winter; I feel well-rested and rejuvenated.
With all this sunlight, everything tends to grow faster and bigger than what home gardeners in the lower 48 states are accustomed to. Steve’s tomato plants are doing well, as are the zucchini plants we got from our friends Gip and Carmen. But the best proof of our fast growing season has to be our new lawn. I’ve been taking photos of the grass almost every day to document its growth. See for yourself what has happened in six days:
There are a few patchy areas that we’re going to have to re-seed, but we were told to expect that many bags of seed have some that are ‘duds’.
(more…)
The recent combination of rain and sunshine has made the prickly rose bushes explode with shades of pink and magenta. We’re letting the area beneath our birch trees develop naturally, and at this time of the year, we are rewarded with showy roses and abundant bluebells. Yesterday, I saw the first clumping of dwarf dogwood as well. I love the way that Mother Nature gardens!
My wildflower garden in the rear of the yard is doing well. The seedlings are now several inches tall. I just wish I had saved the bag, because now I can’t remember what was included in the mix. I suppose I’ll just have to wait and then be surprised. I do hope everything grows well and blooms.
(Click to enlarge the first photo)
My wildflower garden:
(more…)
