Mid-summer finds the forest and understory flora in the ravine adjacent our home thriving, thanks to the copious rain, ample sunshine, and warm temperatures that have graced our environment thus far this season. The succession of wildflowers that grow in the mixed-base clay/sand soil of the ravine provide us with an endless array of beautiful presentations of nature's finest.

Thimbleberry blooms (purple raspberry)

The presence of birds; robins, cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches, warblers; butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies and the occasional visit of birds not normally associated with the ravine like great blue herons and dabbling ducks give us other seasonal perks of intrigue at the irresistible invitation to wander along the trails daily.

Queen Anne's lace

And of course the crows that tend to follow our daily progress through the ravine to make certain that they too partake of the peanut offerings we leave in accustomed cache-places for the red, black and grey squirrels who anticipate our daily rambles.

Cow vetch

At the present time, burdock dominate some areas beside the trails with massive growth thanks to prevailing conditions, and alongside them are thistles with their softly purple-glowing flowerheads, and the presence of new sumacs growing at a tremendous speed and often in areas where they are vulnerable to the robust antics of dogs in play stripping them of their new life.

Yarrow

The Hawthorns' haws are now in evidence, though it is the pin cherries' dangling ripening fruit whose notice is glowingly inescapable, along with the wild apple trees growing their fruit that are more visually evident. Seasonal thimbleberry bushes are larger than they usually are, some have reached my own height, and they're putting out their brilliant pink blooms.

Pin Cherries

The hazelnut bushes natural to the environment this year appear to be hosting fewer nuts than usual but raspberry canes are proceeding to ripen their tiny fruit.

Haws/Hawthorn

As for wildflowers, they're there in abundance, but only in areas where sufficient sun penetrates the forest canopy to encourage their bright presence, from cow vetch, to sunflowers, cinquefoil to buttercups, daisies to fleabane and of course, Queen Anne's lace and yarrow.

Daisies

A never-ending source of pleasure in new sightings that delight us day after day.

Sunflowers