Well, I guess that's a wrap on fire season!

Okay I have unpacked my evacuation bag, and my home is restored to normal.

Thank you to The Bureau of Land Management, The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the US Forest Service, the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center, and all of the various orgs that converged here to keep us safe. They were really excellent with communications, too! Their Public Information Officer is outstanding! And thank you especially to the firefighters themselves, who came from all over the country with their expertise and amazing toughness, beating back the fires, cutting firebreaks, laying hose lines, etc. We are grateful. ❤

We have also been helped by near daily rains for several weeks no. It is said that it always rains for the Fair, so they moved the fair to start early this year to help, haha. I don't mind wet dogs in exchange for physical safety and clean air!

It's also berry season! These aqpiks are ripe.

These blueberries were not quite, but maybe they are now.

And we have plenty of raspberries right in our yard!

A quart in ten minutes, easy!

Raven usually picks them with me, and eats them right off the canes! But right now she can't hang out in the yard as she is being driven nuts by this guy.

I scratched my head over him for a few minutes, thinking marmots only live high in the hills above treeline, but that was a hoary marmot, Marmota caligata I was thinking of. This fella is a Groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, a Marmota monax. How much wood do you suppose he would chuck if he could chuck wood?

Raven stares at him from this window.

Rain is great for cabbages! Makes them grow big, but without bolting! Check out this napa from our CSA!

We also got this giant lettuce. The girls love lettusssss!!

Although brocky stems are still the favorite.

Mmmm yesh! Brocky stems!

And we are still enjoying lovely walks between rainstorms.

Now they clean their fangs side by side. :)

Although the heat has lessened, it's still a bit warm for huskies, and Raven limits ball time by telling me it's time to take a break, and please do not throw her ball again quite yet!

Look at Cricket's schnozz!

Only she can sleep like this!