A potpourri of colors grow in the small meadows behind and in front of our home.  Arrowleaf balsamroot (yellow and daisy-like), sun-capturing wild blue flax, lupine (lavender and white), penstemon (blue and rocket red), asters (purple, cinquefoil (canary yellow), blue geranium, sticky geranium (pink), columbine, catnip or catmint (purple), yarrow (butter yellow).  Gallardia (also known as blanketflower) are beginning to bloom in yellow and oranges, soon to be followed by Russian sage (lavender).  French lavender grows along a patio path and a giant wild rose bush adds blush pink to the mix.

We built our home in sagebrush in the late 1990s and spent six months a year here until 2012 when we moved from Seattle to live in Central Idaho full time.  We re-planted some of the sagebrush lost in construction and added aspen, mugo pine,  bristlecone pine, and blue junipers.  The planted sage grew into almost tree-size silver gray shrubs.  The quaking aspen shade our house and stone patio and sooth day and night with the soft clatter of leaves in the wind.  Their eye-browed eyes in white trunks watch over us.

We may have displaced some mice with our building, but they came back.  Rabbits joined us, too, and now reproduce at great rates, especially this year.  For a while foxes lived in the berm in front and delivered kits each spring.

Deer visit all year around.  Coyotes sing lonely music at night.  Behind us in winter, elk herds graze on the sage mountain we call Moki.  Wolves come by from time to time.  One winter we found mountain lion tracks between our house and our neighbors who live up the hill.  One summer, a fire almost ended both of our houses here in the high desert, but fire fighters saved us from the flames caused by lightning.  (Our house is the tiny speck on the left above the lower ridge.)

All the flowers are early this year because spring began some time in February.  After a low winter snowpack, in May it rained several weeks straight.  (Shades of Seattle!) The lush greens in our valley and on the mountainsides sometimes make us feel as if we are back in Seattle.  We are not.  We don’t miss the traffic, the noise, the smells or too many people.  We do miss friends and water.

We will see Seattle again when we come in late August and early September for readings of my new book, MOONSHADOWS.  Please check the Bulletin Board on my website for my reading events.  Read the advance reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.  Ridley Pearson and Anne Hillerman sent me wonderful blurbs, too.

Happy Summer!

All photos are by Gerry Morrison.  www.gerrymorrisonphotography.com