the calendar of flowers, fish, and tourists

The rain has come back to our little valley. No downpours yet, just living in a cloud. Its more of a saturating wet, but it feels good. The waterfalls that surround us had almost dried up, something I have never seen before. But now they have grown to their full glory again. It seems to rain at night, be windy in the morning, mist all day until evening then it fades to just cloudy. So I have used the evening to head out on little bike rides down the trail. The salmon berries up here on the mountain have finally caught up to the ripeness of the ones down by the channel. I was soon deep in a thicket happily gathering the orange and red berries in my mouth. Its hard to be sad in this state. I really must bring a bucket next time. Just think fresh salmon berries over pancakes for breakfast! I sat by Sheep Creek thought about the evolution of events here in our canyon and how they are marked by different floral and berry flags. Now the fireweed have climbed almost to full staff. I took a couple of my co-workers down to the confluence of Sheep Creek and the channel, they were fascinated by all of the chums packed into the little eddies. Cosmos was too, as he ran around in the stream and chased them everywhere. They're here! Couldn't help but to pull one in with every cast last week. The smoker is going, and the dogs are munching down fish heads. The elderberries are turning red, and but the cranberries are just barely forming into little green fruit right now. The blueberries at the archery range are deceivingly blue right now, but still quite tart. That means ours just above treeline probably have a few more weeks or more. The air must tinge of fall, because all I can think about is harvesting all of these things, but most will have to wait little longer.
Had a nice sauna tonite, it was just what I needed. Warm the bones a little, dry out. Kind of like what I call "charging the batteries" in the winter when I head out to the hot springs. Keeping busy here to occupy my thoughts from wandering back to the interior. Been beading some porcupine quill jewelry, painting a little, filling out my Quest Entry Application. Whoo hoo!( sorry thinking about it makes me react like that!) Can't wait to get on with the 2009/2010 race season. I think our tours have peaked now. Probably good in one way, with some of help going home soon, and me travelling back east in week. Preparing myself for heat, humidity, and culture shock, but it will be nice to see my family. I don't get back very often.
Well time to wander of to bed and dream about mushing down happy winter trails.