As Spring turned into summer this month of June, I’ve been saving some sweet blooming flowers from the wild and wacky hail storms we’ve been encountering almost daily! I have declared that Colorado should have a fifth season, let’s call it: HAIL-Hell! This is my second year in May and June, last year was not at all like what we’ve experienced this year. It rained 40 days straight, and we’ve had major hail storms and even a tornado last week in the suburbs of Denver! This is actually wonderful getting all this moisture, it looks so lush and green, and best of all, I think it’s the first year since 2019 that almost the entire state has not been in a drought.

So my job lately has been to move around my new rose bush, so it wouldn’t get pummeled with hail the size of golf balls! The peony bush in the neighborhood was leaning on the ground waterlogged and too heavy to stay upright! I picked several bouquets and brought them home to a lovely safe vase, and have enjoyed their delicate beauty and fragrance. My dahlia plant has been through holy hell, many blooms did get pummeled when I wasn’t home to save them! I did save a few just yesterday before another HAIL-Hell storm hit, and one dahlia bloom and a rose bud are now in a vase. Thankfully the iris fields were in bloom before the wacky storms became relentless. I did enjoy photographing many of them in the neighborhood, and got to bring a few bunches home to live out their remaining days in a vase, beautifying my home!

I have had some fun doing photoart with the digital pictures I’ve been taking of all these beautiful flora. I have created a series that I call: MARS Wild Colorado Florals, and have included some photos below. I am selling them as greeting cards, prints, etc. on Fine Art America, click the link on each photo if you fall in love with them.

I’ve been counting the days until Autumn arrives, ever since Summer Solstice began on June 21st! In 84 days I will be smiling and grateful to have survived another Colorado summer! I love Autumn and Spring, but I can do without Winter, Summer and now HAIL-Hell season!

Enjoy your summer, I know there are many of you that adore summertime. I will be enjoying the AC and a Caribbean mule while listening to a wonderful audio book or podcast!