Hello forest, goodbye garden

I'm off to join Gary in the Nicolet National Forest today.  It will be a joy to hike some of the familiar trails and to reunite with the loons, osprey, and eagles at Lost Lake.

But in doing so, I must say good-bye to my beloved gardens for a week.

I live an itinerant life in the summers.  I camp and go off on storytelling tours.  This summer is no different.

Because I am gone so much, I miss some of the gaudier garden displays.  There is yellow rose bush in the back yard.  I know it is there because Gary has taken photos of it while I am gone.

I haven't seen my lilies in years.  This year, because of the unusual warm weather, the garden is ahead of schedule by up to three weeks, so this morning I could photograph the first of the oriental lilies.

There's a pink lily nearby, but whether I get to see it in person is anyone's guess.  The yellow day lilies are in full bud so probably will be over in a week.  

The peonies are wonderful this year.  The blooms aren't as huge as they were last year, but there are hundreds of them.  By the time I come back, the petals will have fallen and I can expect to spend some time clearing the mess and pruning. 

The sweet William is blooming nicely but a white variety is just starting elsewhere and will be done by the time I am home next week. 

What I do know is that my neighbors like to wander through to see what is going in my quiet garden.  Felicity and Dylan next door chase around the paths with their little friends.  Walkers come down the sidewalk and stop short to take a gander.  So someone is enjoying the show even when I am gone.