Walking Before the Heat Wave Begins

Design - "Bee Medallion Ornament"

Chart - "Where There Are Bees" #193

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 28 count white Cashel

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 20 June 2015

Completed - 21 June 2015

The Prairie Schooler is always a pleasurable stitch.  I like the fact that generally the charts use fabrics I already have in my stash as well as DMC threads which I also have.

I read in the paper that we are coming off a 35 year low for our winter snow-pack. With our last measurable rain in mid-May, the governor has declared a drought in most Oregon counties including Lane. A heat wave beings Thursday continuing through the 3rd of July with temperatures to be 91, 97, 96, 90, 95, 96. 94, 94 and 93. This is mid-August weather, not end of June weather! 

Let's take advantage of the last 'comfortable' day and go for a walk.  

I have to wonder how much longer the world will look green and lush when there is no moisture in the foreseeable future.  Scarily, we often go all summer without rain until mid-September or even later.

Once again I have my eye on the Elderberry.  It is blooming, but in the past three years, I've never seen it set fruit. 

This plant is setting fruit (and I cannot remember the name of it).

Pretty pink blackberry blossoms.

Oregon Sunshine

Oxalis

There are three types of 'wild' (ie invasive) blackberries, one is already setting fruit.

Thimbleberry fruit

False Solomon's Seal fruit

Columbia Lilies

Douglas' Spiraea and blackberries

Ninebark

Cascara fruit - in past years I've seen the Cedar Waxwings swarm the trees to gorge on the small black fruit.

Nootka Rose

Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium) has pretty bright green shiny new leaves.

When I was a child, I used to come home with this sticky weed stuck to my clothes. It has several common names including Cleavers, Bedstraw, and Sticky Willy (Galium aparine). A very clever way for a plant to make sure its seeds are distributed far and wide.

Our wilding apple tree has lots of young bright green apples.

The Goldfinches will feed on the Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense) seeds come August and September.

I'm off to water all my plants - I will be doing that frequently until the temperatures moderate.