Dry heat but the bees abound

This peony has a lovely scent, but I don't know its name.

The bees are very happy I planted these... I am, too.

The lovely spring flowers went quickly by without much coverage by me... it was dry, still is, and the summer blooms are not going to last long either. Some places on the peninsula are now under water restrictions... and we aren't even into July yet.

My raspberry plants are going to be prolific as long as I can have water for them. The bees are zooming around my garden, into every bud they can find, emerging with yellow pollen all over themselves.

There are plenty of birds, too, so even though it's an anomalous year, they don't seem to mind.

The Olympics, still snow-covered, but for how long? The
glacier to the right is melting at a crazy speed. Still, I don't
believe it is just human-caused global warming.

Last weekend I had my first ride with SF on his motorcycle. It's a huge Harley-Davidson cruiser and very, very comfortable. I especially loved going through the tunnels up to Hurricane Ridge and listening to him rev the engine so the sound reverberated around the concrete... silly, I know.

Looking southeast from Hurricane Ridge (Port Angeles) WA.

The deer were bold, wandering about in various groups, and I wondered idly where they find water since there is no snow left, and I didn't see any streams. While it is really not my problem directly, I am doing my part to conserve water at home.

It was pretty warm and clear and we could see all the way to Victoria and beyond. That was the weekend that the Race to Alaska (R2AK) (a 750-mile, no power allowed, sail or rowing race) was starting and I was tempted to catch the ferry over on Sunday to watch them start, but my garden really, really needed some attention.

The last time I was on a motorcycle was my own, riding in Florida. It was pretty relaxing to be a passenger, and I trust SF completely; he's a very safe driver all the time.

People from all over the world seemed to be at the top... we saw license plates from Wyoming, California, Canada and even as far east as Michigan. There were Orientals, Sikhs, light-skins and dark skins and plenty of other motorcycle riders. I felt a wave of happiness as everyone was peacefully enjoying the afternoon along with us. I want it to be this way always... does it get any better than this?

The hazy outline of land is British Columbia, only 45 or so miles across
the San Juan de Fuca Strait/Puget Sound, Washington.