June is bustin’ out all over!

June is bustin’ out all over
All over the meadow and the hill
Buds’re bustin’ outa bushes
And the rompin’ river pushes
Ev’ry little wheel that wheels beside the mill

June is bustin’ out all over
The feelin’ is gettin’ so intense
That the young Virginia creepers
Have been huggin’ the bejeepers
Outta all the mornin’ glories on the fence!
Because it’s June!

(Richard Rodgers)

We sang this song in Grade School at the end-of-year program and it still pops into my head come June, though having done a little research just now I see that we were never taught the rest of the lyrics. Hmmm.  But birds and bees and FLOWERS! there are a’plenty these days and it is a delight to welcome summer weather!

I’ve been more intentional this year in introducing myself to wildflowers, with the help of guidebooks and a watercolor pad to collect their images in a rough sort of way… It’s been a happy discipline that has supplanted writing time.  I can’t seem to carry on too many other things when there are flowers to be seen!

These teeny tiny freckled orchids were the dearest find!

 

But June has also been a month of spending happy times with the kids…

 

Hiking, and Boating (ha!)…

And playing with rocks!

And celebrating special days!

We even had a go at capturing the perfect family picture…

Summer.  Here at last!  Ahhhh!

–LS

 

 

The First Rose of Summer!

I saw it today, at the bottom of the lawn blooming inconspicously where the mowed meets the wild. The first rose of summer!

Meanwhile in the forest out back God’s glory is unfolding in the wee things that spring up unattended…

Calypso Orchids, just inches tall, spring up in cheery trailside patches.

On a slope above this mountain stream I had a long sit one morning…

At my side dainty blossoms hung in the protection of bristly spines…

Traipsing off to find a new trail home I found Blue Clematis dancing in the woods–lovely wild things!

And once again the beginnings of domesticated beauties grace my own doorstep…

 

Needless to say, I am delighted to see flowers returning!

–LS