The Last of June ~

 It's been over a month since I've written a blog post.  I was so busy in June working outside & trying to keep ahead of the grass, weeds, transplanting, watering etc.  I was too busy & worked myself into a hospital stay.   It took me, stubborn as usual, several days to realize I wasn't getting any better & by that time I had to ask a friend to drive me to the Dr.'s office.  From there, it was an ambulance ride to Bellevue Medical Center on the 18th.  

Butch made it home Friday evening of the 20th.  By Saturday I was released on my own recognizance. It was a real wakeup call for me, the first time I've physically been unable to carry on.  Now, I'm taking things a bit easier, hopeful my strength will return & anxious for a cooler day to get out on my bike.  Mid-June we received a few drizzles & one really good rain.  It made such a difference!

6-24-25 - Rain!

In the meantime, I've been enjoying the fruits of all that labor.  The garden that runs all along the edge of the woods is finally coming into its own.  The years of transplanting Hosta's have paid off & they are getting huge.  The flowers are blooming in waves, first the iris, now the day lilies, Zinnia's & soon the Tall Garden Phlox & most of the varieties of Hosta.  

6-25-25 Zinnia's & Day Lily's 

Each afternoon when Finn & I take our walk, there are fresh flowers to enjoy.

6-27-25, the Hosta's are now mature~

I admire the Hosta's so much.  I'd always liked them, but in WA the slugs usually took a huge toll.  Here, no slugs!  Just the deer wandering through.  I've kept them covered in deer & rabbit repellant.

6-27-25 Along the woods~

This area used to be a wasteland.  Covered in invasive Honeysuckle & Autum Olive.  The evergreen shrubs were the first thing we planted, to delineate the edge of the woods from the yard.  They've gotten huge & add color in the winter months.

6-29-25 Tall Garden Phlox~

From just a few straggly plants, the Phlox have flourished!  The white was the first to bloom this year & soon the pink should join them.

Double blooming Old-Fashioned Day Lily

I have one patch of the above flowers along the hill that drops down to the marsh.  I'm going to transplant a few more to other locations.  

Zinnia's~

This is the second year I've planted Zinnia seeds along the south fence of the backyard.  They haven't done as well as they did last year.  I used at least six bags of Miracle Grow mixed into the soil the first time & cut back this year.  Obviously, I'll be using more again for future plantings.

6-30-25 Sharkey's Revenge~

Sharky is putting on his usual amazing display of color!  The plant must have at least ten buds!  My favorite of the plants I've purchased from Hillsdale Lily Farm.

The woods~

Two of the biggest trees in the woods have died.  I have no idea why.  They are so huge, there're going to stay standing as snags.  The loss of their canopy has let in more light.  The flowers I've planted on the hillside to the left in the above photo seem to be doing just fine.  There's still plenty of shade to enjoy.

We'll be looking for shade with the month of July upon us!  The weatherman assures us that after today, we'll be heading upwards into the land of muggy & steamy soon! 

A Sad End to a Beautiful Day~

 With June's arrival, comes the increase in temperature & humidity.  Today was overcast & humid from the inch of rain we'd received on Wed. & the .08 last night.  The temperature was only in the 70's. I was looking forward to getting in a ride.  The Wabash trail, with the humidity & emerging insects wasn't appealing.  I decided to make the drive to Lake Manawa.  Being Friday, I was surprised to be the only car in my usual parking area.

Ready to ride~

As I left the air-conditioning of the Bronco, the humidity hit.  I'd better continue to prepare myself, because summer is around the corner.  Looking back at the last few years, my best riding months are usually April, May, September & October.  

On the trail~

The shoulder of the trail hadn't been mowed in a while.  The bushes lining the trail in several places were in full bloom & the air was rich with their sweet smell! 

Gray Dogwood, Cornus racemosa

They grow huge too as you can see in the above photo.  After an internet search, I think I've identified them as Gray Dogwood.  

Mandatory Mulberry Stop!

The other native plant dominating some sections of the park, Mulberry!  I couldn't believe the berries were already ripe.  In several areas, my ride was liberally interspersed with multiple stops to consume fresh, rain rinsed Mulberries!

Mulberry~

The old campground was full of both mature & young Mulberry trees, almost all sporting a heavy load of berries.  I wish I had vehicle access to collect them!

Almost to E. Manawa Drive~

Riding down E. Manawa Drive was awful though!  The construction is off in the far distance from where the above photo was taken.  Just past this spot you go from trail to a sidewalk along the road.  The construction side-dump traffic was non-stop.  The dust & dirt was thick in the air.  A street sweeper was operating without success, to contain the dirt left from all the trucks.  As it swept, the cloud of dust rose 50 feet into the air.  I shifted Shadow into Turbo, went up to my highest gear & flew through that area!

View South along Indian Creek trail~

It was a relief as usual, to make the turn south & ride along Indian Creek.  The quiet is palpable after the noise from the truck traffic.  It was nice to see a flow of water in the creek.  My last ride here had been April third. 

On the bridge over Indian Creek~

You can almost see the humidity in the air~ I enjoyed the southern section & passed the Bronco.  A mile further I took my favorite trail out to the lake.  Only one car was in the parking area by Picnic Spot #7.  

Lake Manawa~

The view is never the same & I always enjoy stopping here.  After a call to Butch, I started back.  For whatever reason, the little meadow below looks so remote yet is surrounded by civilization. 

Riding South~

Butch's analog bike had sold; I stopped at Extreme Wheels before heading home. I found crocheted riding gloves for summer. Driving home, I took I-29 south & exited onto Hwy 34 eastbound.  Cresting the hill, I saw a school bus stopped in the left lane.  It was near the bottom of the hill just past the intersection of 195th.  A white car was totally smashed & on its side in the median.  

Approaching the accident, I started flashing my brake lights at the traffic coming over the hill behind me.  The last thing I wanted was to be slammed into from behind.  The two cars in front of me had slowed & stopped.  Debris covered the road.  Within a minute or two, the cars in front of me started winding their way past the bus & through the debris.  I followed.  Behind me, cars in the left lane began merging to the right.  In my rearview mirror I could see the front of the bus was destroyed.  No first responders had yet arrived.  A man had pulled off to the side & was approaching the bus.  Another lady was running across the median toward the car.  

Once home, I checked our Mills Scanner page.  I'd missed the accident by seconds. The highways have become dangerous places.  In this area the speed limit is 55, but the usual speeds are 65 & higher. 

When we first moved here, the traffic was light & accordingly fast.  Now, with nine years of continued growth, the traffic is much heavier, but speeds haven't diminished.  It's rare to see a State Patrol vehicle.  In other states, Butch tells me the State Patrol stations patrol cars all along the busy highways, making a visible presence which slows traffic to the posted speed limits.  

Two lives lost & lifelong emotional trauma for the bus driver & young team.  My condolence's to all involved.