Gleanings from an elusive summer so far…

Summer as I think of it–hot with sunny skies–has been extremely spotty in its appearances this year which makes looking back on June and July’s gleanings somewhat deceptive.  In this mountain valley summer is unpredictable and moments must be intentionally captured. It seems we’ve done that!

With the stormy cold have come rainbows aplenty, even double ones.  And there have been flowers, outside and in (while the freezing nights abated).  There have been grandkid outings, and a few bike rides, and hikes and lots of opportunity to stay indoors and get some creative tasks done, for which there can be no big reveal yet, as the wedding hasn’t arrived quite yet!

So yes, I guess summer has come….

From small beginnings, pesto too comes… Two harvests, going on three, make pesto for months to come when the sun no longer shines in my window…

Yay!!! for formal gardens…

and wild ones…

for butterflies and granddaughter’s awe…

for hikes shared..

and rainbows that give solace after rain….

Yay!!! for bumblebee bottoms…

and the wild world they inhabit!

for picturesque vistas and the crazy pedalling home to beat the coming storm…

 

And for a wee harvest of edible wildness!

This has been our June and July.

But summer is in full force today so let me not linger here looking back!

Blessings on your days!

–Linda

“I will keep watch for You, my strength, because God is my stronghold.  My faithful God will come to meet me…” Ps.59:9,10a

All this beauty right under our noses…

Well it’s just a little crazy that summer 2017 is history! But it has been a fabulously warm one here for us with deliciously record-breaking heat just perfect for somebodies that find themselves a little too far north for real comfort.

This morning drizzle turned to snow for a bit, so I think we can safely suppose that any brave flowers still out there won’t last long.  The elk have yet to come for the ones on my porch but this year I’m hoping they’ll come by and turn their fading remains into elk-fuel to spare me having to uproot them myself.

But before I lose the chance I wanted to post some pics from the Cascade Gardens in Banff.  We pedal to and from Banff quite often but have not slowed enough to notice all this beauty right under our noses. These gorgeous gardens are tucked around the Parks Canada Administrative Building, which is itself an impressive sight!  They made for a delightful end-of-day stroll.

And with these I bid summer 2017 farewell!

–LS

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. Is.40:8

A Summerific July!

I’ve let the pictures collect for too long.  Now I don’t know where to start… July has been summerific! Beautifully hot and peppered with…

bike excursions…

 

 

 

a hike or two…

 

 

a fair–the legendary Calgary Stampede…

 

 

Family from out of town!

and of course flowers!

Enjoy the smorgasbord!

–LS

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Ps.95:1-4