Field Notes for August

 Welcome back to Field Notes!

August 1, 2024

New July Rainfall Recorded! Juneau, Alaska received a total of 10.64 inches of rain in July, according to Mark Sabbatini in the July 27 Juneau Empire, with four days remaining to finish the month. This broke the previous record set in 1917 when a total of 10.5 inches was recorded for the full month of July. Compare with Oakland, California, where the average annual rainfall is 22.61 inches and the average for July is 0.07 inches. I'm enjoying my time in damp, drizzly Juneau, but appreciate the brief interludes of sun!

A brief glimpse of the sun after lots of rain

August 3, 2024

A neighborhood visitor. This well-fed cat sometimes camps out on my parent's front porch for a few hours. It is a good place to view scenery, scan for small rodents, and take a short snooze.

A quick snooze on the front porch

August 6, 2024  🎂

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband! We're celebrating remotely this year, but will have a suitable bash when I return to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Black Forest Cake in 2018

August 9, 2024

Heat wave in Southeast Alaska! We've been in the midst of a heat wave all week, with temperatures in the high 70's and low 80's. The break in rain is a welcome change, and produces especially vivid sunsets. Today, the weather is turning, and the temperatures should be much cooler in the days ahead!

Sunset over the Chilkats at 9:39 PM

August 11, 2024

Sibling reunion! It's been six years since my siblings and I have been together (COVID took up a big chunk of that time as well as some family health care issues). Phone calls, Zoom gatherings, and lots of text messages filled the gap, but now we're all together and catching up! Lots of fond memories of our years growing up in Alaska, and of many gatherings over the years!

Sibling fun in Juneau, Alaska

August 14, 2024

More pressed flowers! Most of the summer flowers have finished their bloom cycles, but I can still enjoy them in their pressed form. My equipment is basic - two pieces of cardboard, brown paper shopping bags, and a heavy pile of books. These flowers are a little thicker than the previous batch, and took a little longer to dry sufficiently. I may need to work on my technique, but the results are still lovely.

Clockwise from upper left: Garden Loosestrife, Foxglove, Fireweed, and Iris

August 17, 2024

It's only mid-August, but you can definitely feel that fall is just around the corner here in Southeast Alaska. The temperatures are still comfortable, from 65 - 80 degrees F. high to 48 - 50 degrees low. The days are still long, but definitely getting shorter (no more full daylight at 11 PM at night)! I'm loving the misty days and dramatic skies.

Dramatic sky during the evening walk

August 19, 2024

How many pictures of sunsets does one need? Apparently a lot, because I keep experiencing amazing sunsets here in Southeast Alaska and keep taking pictures of them! Love the shades of orange and raspberry.

August 21, 2024

Today we say goodbye to my sister who is heading back to Oregon. It has been a treat to have all three siblings together for a couple of weeks. We've eaten meals together, worked on projects, hiked, and enjoyed each other's company.

Remembering a drizzly hike out at the Mendenhall Glacier

August 25, 2024

It rained all night long here in Juneau, Alaska, and the forecast shows 10 days of rain ahead. I'm not complaining - rain is the music of my childhood! In my youth, we never let a little rain slow us down. We hiked, shopped, and went to school and work in the rain (or whatever seasonal form it took). We always had a warm, comfortable home waiting for us at day's end. Since I've lived in dry, California for several decades, I appreciate the rain even more!

A very rainy evening

Landscaping: More Favorite Plants

I've been in Alaska for the last couple of months and away from our newly landscaped yard in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I'm continuing my Favorite Plants series (see Landscaping: Some Favorite Plants) so I can get to know the plants. From the Bird Buddy cam and reports from my family at home, I can see that the garden is thriving! Plants are still small, but doing well with periodic irrigation. Eventually these native and dry garden plants will become established, and need little to no water. Following are several plants that caught my eye before I left for Alaska in June.

The Centennial Ceanothus (Ceanothus 'Centennial') is a low-growing evergreen shrub that reaches one foot tall and five feet wide, with deep blue flowers growing in clusters and blooming in late spring to early summer. The plant spreads in a tough groundcover that is ideal in small gardens and slopes, thrives in dry shade and under oaks, and attracts pollinators. Calscape recommends planting in full sun in coastal areas, and part shade inland (ours is planted in a sunny and well-drained slope in the lower yard). Centennial Ceanothus is a hybrid of Ceanothus foliosus and Ceanothus griseus,

Ceanothus (Ceanothus 'Centennial')

The Pink and White Coral Bells (Heuchera Canyon Duet) are thriving in the rock garden, which is exposed to the sun most of the day. This evergreen perennial forms compact, mat-like tufts that grow to 5 inches tall and a foot wide. The bi-colored dark pink and white flowers appear on 12-18 inch stems in the spring. Heuchera Canyon Duet works well as a small-scale ground cover, in rock gardens, or containers. They tolerate almost any soil type and do best with regular water. Calscape recommends planting in part shade or shade in coastal sites and shade in inland sites (ours is planted in the sunny rock garden, so we'll see how it does)! Canyon Duet is a hybrid of Heuchera 'Canyon Delight' and the rare Heuchera elegans that is found only in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Heuchera (Heuchera Canyon Duet)

Hummingbirds love these California hedgenettle (Stachys bullata)! Also called Hummingbird Bush, this perennial evergreen herb from the Mint family forms a bushy, spreading groundcover with deep green tongue-shaped leaves, and two-lipped purple or pink flowers that bloom on stalks from spring through summer. The plant attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and other insects. California hedgenettle does well in shade, and in wet, swampy and boggy places. Calscape notes that it is not drought adapted but is a good choice for bioswales, pond margins, and similar areas. Ours are planted in the deep shade under the oak tree on a gentle slope and receive periodic irrigation. They are frequented by many pollinators throughout the day.

California hedgenettle (Stachys bullata)

What beautiful and interesting plants!

Summer Outing

During a brief pause in the rain, when the clouds parted to reveal cerulean skies, Mom and I jumped in the car and headed out North Douglas road. The views from the boat launch take in Mendenhall Glacier across the channel and the Chilkat range North toward Skagway. Airplanes of all sizes and types take off and land from the nearby Juneau International Airport, and kayaks and fishing boats traverse the water. My Aunt Char and I visited the boat launch in May (see North Douglas, the Chilkats, and More). 

View from the boat launch on North Douglas Island

We took a picnic lunch and soaked in the view from the car. In the distance we could see Mendenhall Glacier. Closer in we could see small birds flitting among the trees and bushes, and a couple of ravens waiting hopefully for handouts.

Picnic in the car while enjoying the view

After lunch we walked down to the boat launch for views of the Chilkat Range. We spotted more ravens and found evidence of crab feed on the beach, no doubt the remains of a feast by local ravens or eagles.

A raven perches on a burned stump

Remains of a crab feast

To end the day, we were treated to a beautiful sunset, with the mist rising off the channel and wetlands. What a perfect day (followed by more days of wet weather)!

View from the porch of fog rising off the channel and wetlands