My road ditch was showing a bright yellow display of Birds-foot Trefoil, marking the first day of summer. Although planted for pasture and hay, as it can survive fairly close grazing, trampling, and mowing, it is considered invasive in some areas. But they are a cheery sight and the honey bees like the blossoms.
Birds-foot Trefoil
Once the spotty rain showers ended, the late afternoon was a pleasant summer day. The kittens were romping around in the sunshine and those critters with an extra furry coat, like this dog Buster, could enjoy playing games in the cooler temperatures.
Playing Fetch
Fathers spent Father’s Day in many different ways. Some received gifts, some received the gift of time (like my brother getting mechanical help from his children to fix his truck), and others may have just spent some time with their family doing fun activities. They may have done some fishing, hiking or visiting scenic sights like lighthouses. And if dad and the kids were brave, they might have climbed the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse tower.
Climbing Whitefish Point Tower
During the part of the day when the sun was shining, the bees were busy collecting pollen. And right now in my woods, the Virginia Waterleaf is blooming and attracting a lot of pollinating insects, like these honey bees.
Honey Bees at Work
The random rain showers that kept popping up today made it hard to get the clothes dry on the line, but the sun peeked out around noon which allowed a batch of kittens to play outside. Normally I have to sneak up to get pictures of the new wild barn kittens but my brother has been taming this batch and so instead I had to sneak up to take pictures before they spot me otherwise I only get shots of them attacking my shoes and pant legs.
Kitten Wanting Attention
After a stormy and rainy spell, it was nice to see some sun, but course I spent the morning picking up branches the storms brought down and spent the afternoon mowing the lawn. But some people on vacation or had the day off may have had time to enjoy some scenery including waterfalls, like the split of Bad River dropping down at Copper Falls.
Copper Falls on Bad River
Besides the native irises in the water, this planted iris was lucky that it was later in shooting up and missed the deer munching like the other earlier irises which were all nipped off. So there was a little blue waving on flag day.
A Lucky Iris
This native iris, commonly called northern blue flag, survived the flower eating deer long enough to bloom, maybe since they typically grow in the water or near the water edge.
Blooming Blue Flag
On June 12, 1899, a tornado hit the town of New Richmond in western Wisconsin, not too far from where I live. And while it wasn’t a huge tornado, it hit the afternoon of the first day of a circus and the deadly path claimed 117 lives and injured 150 others making it the 9th deadliest tornado in US history.
And two different tornado hit my home farm, each time it took down a barn, and both times it was on June 12, so when the skies darkened again this afternoon, I wondered if I should skedaddle out of the area.
Tornado Day
Sometimes after a rain storm, the sunset still has a bit of an eerie look and it doesn’t display cheery and bright colors.
Sunset After the Storm
