Well... the sunshine was nice while it lasted, but "look yonder there comes the rain..." The wet weather has returned, but even though it's a bit cool outside, I have window or two open. Even wet, the fresh air feels and smells so good!
And I have to say that, even though I may complain about it, all of the rain has kept down the possibility of forest fires; and has produced an abundance of mushrooms and some of the most beautiful sunsets!
Driving home at around 9:00 last night I was headed straight into one of the most breathtaking sunsets I've ever seen. The clouds hung low over the mountains, with enough open sky between them to allow the brilliant white sun to shine through. The top of the symmetrical, pyramide shaped Chpaaqn Peak (pronounced "cha-POK-quin, formerly Squaw Peak), glowed in the setting sun, and the clouds around it lit up like the flames of a roaring fire. Chpaaqn is a Salish Indian place name that means "gray, treeless mountain top".
Today is so much more subdued, gray dreary sky all day long. The rain is supposed to let up by Friday, and I hope to get out on Friday afternoon for some wildflower photos. I'm also anxiously awaiting the Camas bloom at Packer Meadows (at the top of Lolo Pass on the Idaho/Montana border), but so far they haven't started blooming at all. In fact, up until just a couple of weeks ago, there was still some snow on the ground at the pass!
The birds are active at the feeders today, with quite a few Pine Siskins and fewer Goldfinches, although I still hear them singing when the sun is out. An immature Red-wing Blackbird has all but taken up residence on one of the feeders, and the Ring-neck Doves have been visiting with more frequency.
And a new bird at the feeders - a female Yellow-headed Blackbird!
No further sightings of the Sandhill Cranes in the hayfields behind my house.
Great blog. I love this area and which I could visit more often. Darby ice cream, Sam Billings, Lolo Pass, Lewis and Clark, Bitteroot range, flowers, animals, TROUT, and camping in the wonderfull mountain air. Your very lucky! :)
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