Hi out there to anyone who still reads this. It's getting on to late summer now (wow, I can't believe it's August already) and the wildflower seeds I started a couple months ago are now blooming in front of my house. So our place actually looks nice instead of just having a big pile of dirt and rocks out front.

We have lots of different species flowering simultaneously. Sorry, this might be flower overkill, but I love taking pictures of flowers! According to the seed packet, these are all native Colorado species. And the best part is, they're drought tolerant--which is good because we hardly get any rain. Though last night it did rain pretty steadily for a long time. Maybe that's why all the flowers look particulary beautiful today.

Our vegetable garden has grown a lot, too. You can see it in this picture at the very back of the yard, by the fence. It's overflowing with cucumber, pumpkin, watermelon, broccoli, carrot, and green bean plants. So far only the cucumbers and green beans have borne fruit, but I'm still hopeful.

In other news, Christian, Deanna, and I spent a day in the field with the local Boulder County butterfly expert learning the various mountain species. Deanna wants to make a point to learn about them so we can plan on protecting and enhancing their habitat. I love my job!

Queen Alexandra's SulphurSmall Wood NymphEdward's Fritillary

Melissa BlueAphrodite Fritillary

Ha ha, fooled you! This isn't a Colorado species, but a tropical species that I saw when Matthew and I visited the Butterfly Pavilion in Broomfield.

And now, because there seems to be a theme of blog posts ending with pictures of cute animals, I give you. . .

THE CUTEST OWL EVER! Ok, maybe you had to be there to fully appreciate this cuteness. This is a baby saw-whet owl. He was only about as big as my hand. Adorable! (Deanna took this picture).