First Fireweed

Yesterday, I noticed the first fireweed showcasing its lower flowers. As summer progresses, the flowers will continue to open until they reach the top. Then autumn is only a short time away.

First fireweed of summer

Swallowtail butterflies and small yellows and whites have been frequenting the flowers and puddles. Also, two black bears have been seen out by the pond--one cinnamon-colored bear and a small black bear. 

Swallowtail butterfly

First Day of Summer

Rain clouds filled the skies this morning but eventually gave way to partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. The sun was determined to shine on the summer solstice.

Looking east at the Jack White Mountains from the gravel bar

Today marks the first day of summer and the day when the number of daylight hours starts to decrease. Since Bettles is slightly north of the Arctic Circle, the decrease in daylight will not be noticeable until August. 

Lower water levels on the Koyukuk River

Mosquitoes are thriving with the recent rain--can't even bike fast enough to get away from them. There seems to be several different sizes of mosquitoes buzzing around, some more bothersome than others.

Enjoy summer--mosquitoes and all!

Exploring the tiaga

With 24 hours of daylight, plants are flourishing and flowering. They have a brief window of warmth and sunshine to flower and produce seed for the next generation. The Labrador tea, cranberries, roses and cotton grass are all adding splashes of color to the tiaga.

Labrador tea in bloom

Labrador tea flowers

With the numerous ponds and small depressions scattered throughout the tiaga, mosquitoes, dragonflies and other water-thriving insects are abundant.

Dragonfly on spruce tree

Less abundant are the large critters that survive in the tiaga. There is the occasional sighting of a moose and bear tracks are seen more often than an actual bear--which I don't mind. Surprising a bear, even a small black bear, is not something I want to experience. I wouldn't mind seeing one--just from a good distance away.

Small black bear tracks

Still spring in the Arctic

While summer may be in full swing in some parts of the country, spring still reigns in the arctic. With only one week remaining until summer solstice, spring weather is still hanging on. Highs have been in the 60's with morning temperatures hovering around 50. Quite pleasant and perfect weather for mosquitoes.
 
Spring is a time of new life and with one week left, nature is flourishing. Today I saw my first swallowtail butterfly and dragonfly. I also startled a pair of Canada geese with goslings on the road by the river. As I rounded a corner, the adults flew off as the goslings ran into the brush along the road. From my brief glimpse, the goslings were still small, yellow fluff-balls.

Thunderstorms, mosquitoes and hares

The first good thunderstorm of the season rolled through last night. First a light rain, then lightening, thunder and a downpour that lasted nearly an hour. Everything smelled rain-fresh this morning. The rain didn't put a damper on the mosquitoes though. The mosquitoes are out in full force--finding you within seconds of walking outside.

Every now and then I'll see a snowshoe hare cross the road near our trailer. The other day, one happened to be eating greens right outside our kitchen window. There are two species of hares in Alaska: the arctic hare and the snowshoe hare. The snowshoe hare is more widespread than the arctic hare, which is mainly found in western Alaska. 

 

 

Snowshoe hare