The Blanch Herd: Out There {June 2023}

June is noteworthy because we finally had our first family hike(s) of the season! Sheesh, it's been cold and wet! Other outside things: disc golf (and ball golf), flowers, bike rides. By the end of the month, it was definitely summer! (About time!)

6.1.23
(for Gregg's birthday, he had a couple birthday dates with his
parents: golf with his dad and lunch with his mom)

6.1.23
(while Gregg was celebrating his birthday with his parents, the kids
and I ran some errands and stopped to play some soggy
disc golf in Harrisville)

6.1.23

6.1.23
(So wet!!)

6.1.23
(a mama duck was not happy to have me trying to
take a pic of her babies . . . but they're in there somewhere)

6.1.23

6.1.23
(and we thought there was a lot of water on the other side!
notice the sign that says no swimming or boating!)

6.1.23

6.4.23
(sunday smiles -
Cal in her cute new bday dress from Grandma E -
and we still have beautiful lilacs!)

6.4.23
(the seed situation on our deck was getting
rather ridiculous!)

6.4.23
(after church, Cal and Gregg showed us where they
had been backpacking the week before
in Middlefork.)

6.4.23
(it was a glorious afternoon!)

6.4.23

6.4.23
(these make me so stinkin' happy!)

6.4.23

6.4.23
(the flowers were magnificent!)

6.4.23
(the middlefork river was running pretty high and quick)

6.4.23

6.4.23
(heather told me what these are, but now I
can't remember!)

6.4.23
(she said they're really shortlived so we were
lucky to see them in bloom)

6.4.23
(the lupines were lively)

6.4.23
(and just look at that deep fuchia!)

6.4.23
(I don't remember what these are either, but
they were cute and white. Maybe forgetmenots?)

6.4.23

6.4.23
(Penstemon!)

6.7.23
(checking out the hollow tree water levels - it's past the
trunk and almost to the shore!)

6.7.23

6.7.23
((don't mind the thick layer of seeds that
have fallen from our trees, but
we planted marigold seeds and this one
seems to be a tricot!

6.7.23
(the rest of them are dicots, as expected.
Science!)

6.8.23
(wolf creek disc golf evening - it was lovely)

6.8.23
(the mules ears were marvelous)

6.8.23

6.10.23
(nordic valley hike with the fam - what
a way to start hiking season with a bang!
(we climbed like 3000+ feet in 6+ miles!
all the way to the top of the new Express list!))

6.10.23

6.10.23
(we made it - just barely!)

6.10.23

6.10.23
(it was so great to see the lake so full!)

6.10.23
(I took this one because it shows that long straight road
that goes past our church so clearly!)

6.10.23

6.10.23
(the seven sisters looking mighty fine)

6.10.23
(the clouds were nice, too!)

6.10.23
(whatever that creek is that runs through
the resort - this is it and it was rushing!)

6.10.23
(she'll still hold his hand! awww)

6.10.23

6.13.23
(look at those low clouds hugging the mountains)

6.13.23
(sorry if this grosses you out - but I thought
it was so fascinating to spot this little dead
bird on the bike path on the way to the north
arm trailhead that I spotted on my walk this
morning)

6.15.23
(look how full the north arm is getting!!)

6.15.23
(just about as high as we've ever seen it!)

6.15.23

6.15.23
(a few poppies have bloomed by the park!)

6.15.23
(seems much later than usual, which seems
to be a theme this year.)

6.15.23

6.16.23
(checking out the environmental center waterfall -
it's definitely still going strong!)

6.16.23
(Gregg and Sam were chucking rocks and logs down on that
snow, which had the waterfall running underneath it, and
they made the opening bigger when a big chunk of snow
collapsed!)

6.16.23

6.16.23
(a big floe of snow was still there above
the stream formed by the waterfall along
the trail)

6.16.23
(the snow was heavy and deep this winter, and it's evident
in the snapped off trees along the last stretch of the trail.
I was wondering if there was maybe a little avalanche even?)

6.16.23
(so many snapped off branches!)

6.16.23

6.16.23
(we had to bushwhack some spots, and even
go around on a new path of our own to get
past a lot of the downed trees)

6.16.23

6.16.23
(so green!)

6.16.23
(don't know what kind of eggs these are
on these leaves, but holy moly there are tons!)

6.16.23

6.20.23
(that's a lake instead of a lakebed!)

6.20.23

6.20.23
(we hiked along the trail after biking to the trailhead
and we spotted this beauty on some woad along
the trail. but it's not a monarch! we learned it's a viceroy,
and you can tell because it has a line across the back
wing!)