Mail Call and Garden Update

 Hiya Gang,

Little Fox here taking a break from some early summer hiking.  Do you see on of my favorite plants (foxglove is #1 of course).  Yep, Bear grass (according to Wikipedia it’s neither a grass or enjoyed by bears). 

Up first is from Sandy and Company.  They mentioned a few of the adventures they have taken lately to the Vancouver Art Galley and then off to Butchart Gardens (I wonder if they are going to do a high tea in the garden?).

Sandy also included some stickers (he knows I’m a sucker for stickers and we are guessing that they might be the work of Emily Carr. Ms. Carr’s work is rarely on display in the United States but there seems to have been a huge show at the Vancouver Art Museum (Canada not Washington). 

Next up is a bear and a fox walking in the forest (sounds like the start of a joke).

Sandy mentioned that he got the card I sent from Shannon’s Ice Cream shoppe in The Dalles.  He mentioned visiting but the border and tariff situation is a tad “sticky” at the moment.  Hopefully, he can come on down soon.   

Sounds like Sandy is starting to be a social media researcher and has bravely volunteered to search local ice cream shoppes on the island for air b and b guests.  It’s a thankless task but someone has to do it.

The garden is going gangbusters.  Aruglaa and spring lettuces and humming along. 

Zucchini is coming up slowly but surely.

The tomatoes are off to a good start as well.  Early Girl and Sun Gold are our favorites. 

The “wildflower experiment” is still being finicky and not really doing what was envisioned by the roommates.  Perhaps Jerry can assist?

9:30am lunch?

Greetings from the trail.  I am at a beary popular trail head in Oregon.  It's 8am and there are already cars in the parking lot.  It's Monday, I know the post is on a Thursday (humans.....).   Down to business I am hoping to see some wild rhododendrons and a good view of Mt. Hood.  

The rhododendron tree is looking green but no flowers.  I wonder if I am too late?

Ah, there we go.  This rhodie is blooming.  The wild ones are only pink.

I wanted to take a break and guess who showed up on the same rock as me?  Sequoia jumped right up and wanted to get in the picture. 

Back on the trail.  I have a choice.  I  can go to Tom, Dick and Harry mountain or to Mirror Lake.  Let's check out the lake first.

You can kind of see a reflection of Mt. Hood in the lake. The mosquitoes are out so I must keep moving.

See that hill out there?  It's Tom, Dick and Harry mountain and it's my final destination.

A few wildflowers are out today.  Indian Paintbrush and Bear Grass.

Mt. Jefferson looks good.  The air needs to clear up and Mt. Jeff needs more snow for a better picture.  

I am now near the top of Tom, Dick and Harry mountain.  Mt. Hood in the background looks nice and there's more Indian Paintbrush and Bear Grass.  This is not a great spot for lunch.  Perhaps a rock. 

This spot looks good.  Of course, it's 9:30am.  Is that too early for lunch?  Yes, but I am hungry so I am eating. 

Sequoia is not one to be shown up.  He decided to pose for this picture and I must admit he looks good.

A plan to escape the heat....

The weather has been unbearably hot recently; in the lower 90s recently so we hoped that a day trip to the mountain (Mt. Hood) would help us cool down.

After Foxglove one of my favorite wildflowers was in bloom, Beargrass.  If you haven’t seen Beargrass before it’s a grass that grows pretty high and even though it looks prickly it’s flowers are beary soft. 

The big groves of Beargrass were near the trailhead and as we continued on the trail we came across this bridge.  The snowpack has been low this year so the creek wasn’t the rushing river it can be but it doesn’t really matter because of the sturdy bridge.

Mt. Hood decided to peak out from behind the trees. 

Hmm, this trail seems to continue on and upward.  I wonder what we will find around the next corner?

 Lupine!  Lupine is starting to come out.  Sequoia enjoys the smell of Lupine, I wonder if I can get some seeds from the garden store and plant some at our house?

This marker indicates we have reached out junction.  To the left we eventually get to Timberline Lodge (and maybe have a big glass of lemonade) and to the right we can go to Cloud Cap Inn and relax on the porch.  Either option is good for me.  My roommates say it’s too far to hike to either of those places (plus you can drive there anyway) so we are going to have lunch.

No pictures of lunch but it was much better than before.  PB and J, trail mix, string cheese, chips, and a pasta salad.  On our way down we saw just one Indian Paintbrush.

Our original plan was to escape the heat.  Did we do that you ask?  No, it was just as hot on Mt. Hood as it was in town but that’s OK.