I see puffy white clouds and think 'summer'. And in addition to being Father's Day, the latest date it can possibly be, it is also the first full day of Summer. (The solstice slipped in yesterday at 4:43 p.m.)
As usual, I was up before dawn, so I walked out to the street to get a better sunrise picture from a different perspective - looking toward downtown.
Last night's forecast had mentioned the possibility of morning rain, so we had already decided on an early morning Father's Day walk on the Green Valley Lake/Park trails and headed out there at 6:30 a.m. Ready. Set. Go. 6:45 a.m.
Bud, headed across the causeway. We don't even try to walk together - he walks faster and farther; I walk slower and stop to take photos.
I cut off onto the one remaining gravel path where I came upon this poor, dead, mole. If an owl killed it, why didn't it carry the mole off to eat?
Stump and thistle. I hated digging thistles out of the pasture when I was younger, but I really admire their purple flowers.
Milkweed is such an important plant for Monarch Butterflies. I was happy to see them in several locations and actually smelled their fragrance before I saw their flowers.
Elderberries are flowering, too. I like their fragrance even more than the Milkweeds.
Close up of the Elder flowers.
And looking back across the lake at the same Elderberry bush.
Timothy grass in bloom alongside wild oats.
For some reason when I see this plant, one which I associate with my youth, I have trouble remembering what Mom called it. This morning 'bull nettle' came to mind and that is what I thought it was.
A search tells me this is 'horse nettle', but if I read further, another name for it is,
bull nettle. So, there.
Perfect timing, Bud's coming back across the causeway, ready to slow down for his cool down. We can walk together back to the car.
Back to where we started from.
Ready to get into the car and leave, I spotted this Kingbird. It really was a beautiful morning for a Father's Day, Welcome Summer, walk.
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