GIS Butterfly: A Meadow of Flowers for Me

The Fruit of our Lips Giving Praise

If I don't praise the rocks will!

Lupine

Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, so that he might sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing his disgrace. For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”- Hebrews 13:12-16

I needed to get outside the city, this morning. I awoke a 6 a.m. and was traveling East, up to the foothills, before eight o'clock.
I live in the upper Sacramento Valley. Our elevation is near sea level and gets into 110 degrees off-times for a week in the summer. As my sister-in-law in Colorado has had snow blizzard this 3rd week of May~my highs went from 58 on Monday to 98 today.
So, I headed for the hills in search of wildflowers before they all dry up!

Golden Aster

Wild Hyacinth

Wild Hyacinth and Golden Aster

St Theresa-Chapel

My surprise to crest the hill and find a replica of an old Chapel!🌻

This was made to go with a Vineyard, which has a venue for weddings and parties.

I had no idea the chapel was there, I just took a side road that had a "CLOSED" sign with a winery, which I did not remember knowing was in the area of Shingletown. (click title for vineyard details)

Oak Skyline

The sun was cutting through the trees as I held the camera over my head to see the skyline.

Our valley has over 20 different Oak trees and even sub species within each variety. Many do not loose their leaves and have a ghostly gray in the sun light. In the hills I saw many of the other evergreens and enjoyed the non-natives in the landscape of the vineyard.

Even the rocks are fenced in

Pig wire is a local ranching staple. It not only keeps the cattle off the road; it will keep the deer out of the vineyard. I only saw cows and squirrels today, however, I am sure the deer would be prevalent on cool mornings since there is water nearby for cattle.

More Asters and my foot

The last clump of Asters that I photographed will not be long for this world. This week may mark the last of the rainy season. As school winds down to the last NINE days, I wonder if we have had the last rainy day recess. Our 10 day forecast is flirting with the 100 degree mark every day with no clouds on the horizon.

Blooming in my own back yard

I wasn't expecting the hill country to seem so parched, as we have had rain periodically through the past weeks. We have experienced an unseasonably wet winter/spring. Unfortunately, I have needed to water my flower beds on the terrace. My white tea rose is done blooming and the yellow one has just started to bud out. The little cactus is starting to bloom and the chrysanthemum is covered in buds that I hope wont get too hot.

The last two weeks of school are filled with makeup testing and readying our room for next years reading groups. I taught over 700 individual reading groups during the 2016-17 year. Each group had 4 to 5 children age grouped K-5th. So, much progress and growing of young minds.

Our Summer Day camps for YMCA begin on June 5th this year. For 8 weeks we will be learning and grow together each afternoon, as I lead a group of 20 who are going into 2nd and 3rd grade. I could spend every spare moment planning in my head. However, I decided to block out an hour here, an hour there and try not to spend my entire weekend planning activities.

Going to the Foothills was a way to refuel my creativity on so many levels. Driving with the windows down, I could smell the mountain lilac and sweet peas along the road. Hearing the birds and animals as I popped my ears over and over as I traveled up near 3,500 feet of elevation in 20 minutes. The feel between my toes of dried grass and dirt reminded me of the many trips I have taken only as far as the West base of Mt Lassen these past 30 years.