It's their season

 by Rain Trueax

July is when the wildflowers do their thing in the high country of Yellowstone. Sometimes I try to figure out their names, have books to help me do that. I had none with me this trip. The thing for me though is to enjoy beauty. These are nature's gardens and none could be prettier with their gorgeous mix of colors.

In driving and looking for flowers, it's interesting how a tiny elevational difference determines what will be where. Wildflowers might look to be scattered randomly, but they have strong requirements as to where they will grow including amount of water, temperatures, nearby plants, and soil types. It makes finding, something like Indian Paintbrush, challenging. 

When on gravel roads, with less traffic, it was easier to stop where the flowers were. On the major roads, stopping for a wildflower is not safe. These were taken in parks or not far off roads.

I think, when I get my current manuscript to the rough draft phase (a long way off), I might try to put some of the Yellowstone photos into a video with music. Something classical would suit the images best.

larkspur

Wildflowers are amazing with their appearance only where it suits them. Some will be along country roads, while others are far more particular and only appear in very select places-- a certain elevation, certain amount of moisture, and for a time to suit themselves. There are a few that will bloom all summer, although never in as much profusion as their first bloom. A few make their fans work for any sight of them.

One of the things we always aim to do is get to Beazell Memorial Forest when the larkspur are at their peak. I've never been anywhere with so many forming a lush garden. We've made it there some years and others arrived too early and then too late. This happens to also be a busy time on the farm. 

The larkspur are in lush profusion in one main area right alongside the small creek. This year, we were there a few times, ahead of the bloom, thought we might have missed it, but finally hit it just right. They are almost impossible to photograph because their blue is very similar in value to all the green surrounding them. 

After reading the above link, I may try again to get them started along our creek. At one time it had livestock foraging along its banks. Pretty well the death of any such plants. Now it's fenced off; so maybe...

javelina

Being way too busy and with my mind not exactly operating in a way that leads to great blog posts, I thought I'd put up some photos of the javelina. We photograph them whenever see them. Oddly enough they are not biologically pigs but rather are rodents. I have no idea how scientists decide such things but there must be a reason.

Farm Boss was coming out from the pool area and said he smelled something before he saw them-- like skunk like odor. They were just standing at the quail block and watching him.

You will see in these photos why they can be animals to be cautious around. They really don't go out looking to attack humans but if they feel cornered, they will and their tusks can open up a leg quite easily.

Tucson got what is called a haboob Wednesday which meant big dust storm. This photo is looking toward Pusch Ridge and as you can see, it was dusted out. We could not see the Tucson Mountains from our house. It led to not a lot of fantastic color for photos; plus the animals and birds do know when to take cover in those weather events. I will get back to the quail before we leave.

I created the following video about this house, the one we call Casa Espiritu, and the creatures who live here.  It's is also on my YouTube channel. If you find videos of interest, bookmark-- Rain Trueax Channel.

 

I have also decided to create a blog just for trailers, no real talk, just these videos as well as possibly those by others who would like to share theirs. I'll provide a link to that when I get it set up.

Sonoran Desert

When we got to the Tucson house, the temperatures were heading toward highs of just over 100F. There were many maintenance tasks that had to take priority for the cooler hours with a lot more yet to do. With some of the major jobs crossed off and the daytime temps cooling to the 90s, we finally took one of our favorite morning hikes and were surprised to see some water in the pools.

The bird is a vermillion flycatcher and the first time we have seen one. This is its natural habitat though and down into Mexico.

When you get to the deep pink flower, look for the bee.

Return to the High Cascades

Because we had enjoyed ourselves so much when we were in the Cascades, we went back on Saturday for another hike with our friends Parapluie and Fisherman. The hike we made wasn't too long, the day not too hot, and we enjoyed eating our lunch under the shade of a big tree between short hikes.

Although it was the same walk, the scenes had changed as different flowers bloomed, some had grown more impressive.

The walk basically follows a ridge and dips between deep forest, open flower-filled meadows on steep slopes, and interesting rock formations. If someone is so ambitious as to climb to the top, they get a spectacular view-- so I have been told. I have yet to go to the top; and this time, since I had twisted my knee in Arizona and again in our pasture, I wasn't about to risk it as coming down could have sent it back to where it had been. Definitely not on my agenda for a fun summer.

It made me think how much fun it would be to start doing this hike say the first of July and repeating it every week for a month as each time there would doubtless be different vignettes to enjoy.

The birds and insects make the most of this glorious feast also although their motives are more about their own survival than appreciating the beauty although who knows. Maybe they do both.

When I am there I always think how wonderful it is, all of this in one place, the show these flowers put on for themselves, for their survival, but that people built a safe, easy trail to allow someone like me to see it all. The beauty, wonderful array of flowers and colors warrant a poem. Too bad I am not a poet.

The flowers range from those that love the sunshine to those that bloom in the shade. Their colors are everything in the rainbow.

More photos have been added to my Picasa site for those who are fans of mountain wildflowers.

High Cascade Wildflowers

So relaxing here

I have a very close friend, actually a dear friend, who lives a lot of miles from here and as we were chatting the other night on MSN Messenger, she said, it must be so relaxing where you live. I could only laugh as I related to her what my evening had been like just ahead of my having a chance to touch bases with her.

Farm Boss had come into the house and said, get on your tennis shoes. I need you out here.  I didn't like any part of that idea. Need doesn't sound good. For what?

A cow has a calf's foot sticking out her vulva. It's pretty obvious the calf is dead but I can't get her in the barn by myself.

Ugh. I do not normally do work involving the cattle. I have told him many times that when it comes to herding them, if they come running at me, unlike him, I am stepping out of the way and not trying to turn them by batting them with a big stick.

He had zero sympathy while he handed me the cattle prod which I have never used and had no exact idea how it worked. My mind raced ahead, as I tried to avoid holes in the pasture that might retwist my knee, to ways to prevent this from happening again-- my end of that is. IF he had that ATV I had been suggesting he buy, would I not have to go? If he had built the corral we had discussed, would that have helped? Well it was an emergency and I had no choice.

It had been an anything but relaxing day even before this as I had gone out many times, carrying a gun, to keep an eye on the sheep in the main pasture and to discourage any coyote from having lamb for dinner. I had been anticipating a nice hot bath and a quiet evening. So much for that.

Of course, the cows were clear to the back. As it turned out, the cow in question already had his rope around her neck as he had been able to rope her but not hold her. You try stopping a thousand pound plus animal when they want to go somewhere else. As we herded her back, separating her from the other cattle, I kept seeing that little hoof, and it hurt just thinking about what she was going through.

I won't go through the rest of this story but between trees and eventually being able to secure her to them, then a tractor to pull the legs, he got the dead calf out but not without screaming from the cow. I hate hearing an animal cry in pain like that. Well, who wouldn't.

The cattle were also upset by it as they clearly thought about racing over to save her but using better judgment stayed back as they didn't want whatever was happening to her to happen to them. With the calf out, her relief was immediate, and it's looking good that she will survive as so far she has not prolapsed. If she does, it will all be for nothing and she will have to be killed.

Farm Boss left the calf's carcass out in the pasture without time to bury it before he left for work. About nine, I decided to take the gun out and see if the coyote was going to come around for veal. I first saw it coming up from the creek and began to walk a lot more carefully to avoid it seeing me. Finally I did get a shot at it but with the cows below where I was standing, I was a little apprehensive; and as it turned to run I missed. Curses-- although I don't actually curse and at least I didn't shoot a cow.

There is some compensation.  It probably won't be back immediately. I do not think this was the same one I shot at last time. It looked younger, a bit naive about the dangers it faced coming into our field. It knows a little better now.

Yes, it's so relaxing here.

For what is relaxing to me, the photos are all from Oregon's High Cascades and from a lovely time there with our friends, Parapluie and Fisherman.

 Link to more photos of mountain wildflowers:  
High Cascades

Sunday was a perfect day to be in the mountains, the hike not too far, the air not too hot, my knee held up well, and although the flowers were not as impressive as last year due to an unusual spring and early summer, they were still very soul inspiring. If all goes well, we are going back on Friday and I am maybe taking my oils.

Obama and public financing

Whether you read and listen to right or left wing pundits right now, most are in agreement. Obama broke his word to take public financing in the fall. Public financing, which has been used for presidential campaigns since 1976 would have this fall limited him to $84 million. McCain quickly jumped on it saying he was going to take the money and attacked Obama for flipflopping.

Is this a sign that McCain doesn't remember his own changes on policies-- some that matter a lot more than this? Did McCain wait to announce his decision to slam Obama? Despite his saying he hadn't decided earlier, McCain probably had no choice on it given he had financed his primary campaign with the guarantee that, if he won the nomination, he would use taxpayer funding for his fall campaign.

Why would Obama opt out of free (if you don't count that it's taxpayer money) campaign funds?

Let's start with the loopholes in the public financing laws (some of which McCain put there). For instance he freely uses his wife's corporate jet-- still-- and doesn't reimburse her for the amount it actually costs... when he reimburses her at all. This is a benefit to all rich men if the money that they pay for travel, which is a lot, doesn't count. His travel would not come out of that taxpayer funded $84 million. Obama's would.

Then there is the question of the 527s. McCain has already made it clear he can't stop them from what they are already doing. Slander Obama and that's nothing to him (unless he can use it himself in a sly way in his next speech). 527s (for either side) are unlimited in what they can put out and have no accountability under election laws. They also would not count under that $84 million taxpayer funded campaign. In 2004, we saw how effective these kinds of ads can be.

Although McCain hasn't been raising as much money as Obama on a personal level, the Republican party is way ahead of the Democratic party. Their ads also will not be counted in allowed campaign costs. They can run unlimited ads in ways that benefit McCain while putting down Obama.

McCain has been running his presidential campaign all spring, since he secured his party's nomination, while Obama was still working to earn his nomination which gave McCain a big head start. To make it even sweeter for McCain he's using Hillary's talking points now against Obama.

One could argue that in a time where the government is in debt and borrowing more every year, that $168 million could be better used other ways than in campaigning since both candidates can raise more if they want, but that's not really why I believe Obama made the right decision.

Obama has already had all kinds of garbage being thrown against him. Oh yes, the McCain camp is innocent in doing it. They don't have to be involved. McCain says he can't control it even when it goes too far or spreads lies. Maybe that is so. It doesn't particularly hurt his cause to let it happen though while he keeps his hands clean. How many people today fear voting for Obama because they think he's a Muslim terrorist or his wife is bitter and hates America?

Obama has asked those who donate to him to not give to other groups, not wanting to see his own 527s sprout up. I don't think those kind of ads are good, like by that group that has the emotional young mother with her baby on her lap and telling McCain (regarding his hundred years in Iraq statement), that he can't have her son someday. I don't respect McCain's viewpoint on the war (or anything else) but that ad really is also about scare tactics.

What Obama would like to do, and it's not easy, is keep his organization under his control-- something novel I know but encouraging for how he might run his administration someday. If money goes to 527s on his side, it will have garbage piling up on both sides, changing the tone of the whole campaign to a point where nothing that matters even gets discussed.

If Americans don't like Obama's decision on campaign financing, they don't have to donate to him. He is taking a risk that they might listen to the many talking heads who immediately jumped onto this by accusing Obama of losing his honor over it.

To me it was something he should not have promised in the beginning, but sometimes we learn as we go. I think he hoped the campaign would be different than it has already been. Personally I like the idea that he can look at something and do a reassessment for what is best even if it's not what is popular.

Maybe he hoped there wouldn't be 527s this time. Call it naive. Maybe he thought McCain really could or would stop them. Whatever his original reason, the initial indication he would take public financing was his mistake, not his reassessment that it would cost him the race if he limited himself that way.

All of the pundits and likely the talk radio show hosts were repeating what Fox has said which is that Obama signed a promise to take federal funds for his fall campaign. That's not quite how it was. It was a questionnaire that he checked the box saying yes that he would take it if the Republican did, but he wrote quite a bit explaining his reasoning about how he felt campaigns should be run. You don't hear about those words.

Personally, I think if the 527s were not already operating, if McCain had had control over their content, this might have gone the other way; but as it is, Obama needs to have the money to react quickly to whatever comes against him. He's not the soft, weak man that the Republicans have been trying to sell. Next we'll hear he's too tough...

Officially today is the last day of spring and first day of summer-- Summer Solstice. In honor of that and because when I write about something difficult, I like to add something pretty, I decided to use a few wildflower photos from recent hikes in the Coast Range and Willamette Valley.

It's a hard time right now with scary weather talk, difficult decisions to be made in government, economic difficulties, major questions about what is really going on in many areas, but life isn't just about that. There is beauty. There are good things out there. As the saying goes, stop and smell the roses-- especially the wild ones.