Loveliest season of them all! Temperatures have dropped, the mosquitoes have gone away, and the tundra is getting colorful. The aspens and birches are still green, but the tundra plants are turning brilliant red, orange, and gold. August is when the Lower 48 is still hot and Alaska is cool, and so I feel particularly grateful to be here.
This plant is ubiquitous, and I'm embarassed to admit I have no idea what it's called. Some kind of alder?
The dwarf dogwood is a pretty red, and you can see the cranberries, which are almost sweet.
The dogwood is really pretty and looks festive against the plants that are stil green.
The blueberry plants usually turn a pretty orangey-red that looks like a sunset, but this one is bright red.
Rose plants turn this deep red that is my favorite color--It's also the color of cranberries, and of red wine, and of garnets. So rich, so warm, yet full of light.
These bearberry plants turned brilliant red, but had no berries on them. In other words, they were bare bearberries.
Some of the fireweed has changed color, too!
Most of the flowers have gone to fluff, which means it's 4 weeks until the first frost.
Look at Miss Thistle! Forever a leader, always holding her line.
Although it often seems that Cricket is still on a team, too. I call this "imaginary skijoring".
Despite being a youthful, happy dog, Cricket has never had the "goober" gene that many huskies have, especially my late Linden (whom my loyal readers will recall). Cricket is very Serious.
It is serious leader Thistle who more often wears a husky smile.
This is Cricket's sister, Bedbug. They sure do look alike, don't they? Bedbug was a star leader, like my Thistle, and retired quite a bit later than Cricket did. She went to live with my friend SM, who had just lost her older beloved boy, Tanka, to cancer. Tanka, like my Roo, had been a therapy dog. And now Bedbug and Cricket are both therapy dogs.
Do you see the seesterly resemblance?
It's now cool enough to turn on the oven! And I can make pizza!
I can also make pie!
Strawberry-rhubarb, my favorite!
Here is a gratuitous photo of Cricket eating a bell pepper slice.
And one of Thistle.
3 comments:
I remember Linden! Good pictures on Wednesday December 17 2014.
And just last week I was wondering if you still do therapy visits?
Loyal Reader #8
@LR#8: Thank you for remembering how freaking cute Linden was. :)
Cricket is a certified therapy dog now, but our visits have been limited due to COVID. The hospital is wide-open to us visiting whenever we'd like, but I don't go in regularly any more. Instead, I keep an ear to the ground of when certain patients are lonely, and also I mind the COVID counts in the Fairbanks community in general, before we go. There are resident cats there now, and also employees are allowed to bring their personal pets after they pass a health and temperament screening, so that makes me feel less responsible for providing a big chunk of fuzzy love.
Might be a good idea to meet people in the yard (with Cricket)? Wear your N95 and change it frequently (daily if needed) Thank you for being careful
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