Kip’s Comments - July 26, 2026

Thanks Mom and Mom Nature!

Shortly after the sun began rising above the horizon I roamed our ponderosa to take in the fog and the coolest of the day temperatures. The humidity was already high and fog blanketed the area. Still, there were flowers to be seen, so I did.

The first flowers to catch my eyes were not wild, but were a gift from my mother. The poor plants looked awful after the winter and I nearly tossed them. But, my mom told me to hold onto them and they will recover. Wow… those plants looked great this morning. Thanks Mom (now looking down on us and the flowers)!

Pink Rain Lilies - Image 1127523

After the rain lilies I wandered our pollinator habitat where many species are showing colors while even more are nearly finished blooming for the year. Following is a sampling of what I saw.

Cup Plant - Image 1127314

Cup Plant - Image 1127331

Cup Plant - Image 1127386

Dew Drops on Grass - Image 1127398v

Panicled Ticktrefoil - Image 1127496

Panicled Ticktrefoil - Image 1127496mono

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed - Image 1127582

Sunflower Bee on Cup Plant - Image 1127587

Before I called it quits with the camera for the morning I recorded images that captured the essence of summer in Iowa and a photo where the fog is pretty.

Seed Corn Tassels - Image 1127545

Corn Field in Fog - Image 1127288

Norway Spruce in Fog - Image 1127433