Summer is going much too quickly and

Edmonton has had an excessive amount of rainfall in the last month (a.k.a. dealing with wet basement again)

BUT one of the benefits of the rain

has been bumper berry crops

and

lovely flowers and fresh pickings in the yard.

There is nothing like a

fresh lettuce salad

with a dash of cut up chives, parsley, tarragon, and oregano herbs.

Saskatoons are in abundance both in the river valley, ravines and bush in my front yard.

Somewhat like blueberries they can be eaten fresh, frozen or on cereal or ice cream. Even my dog Dysis gets into the picking of lower branches.

Here are some of my more creative shots from yesterday.

Down the laneway some elderly German neighbours have raspberries bushes that are for the picking.

The yellow variety is somewhat sweeter and not yet quite ready but love the photo here of yellow spot in midst of red.

The progress of the summer is often marked by what flowers are blooming.

Right now it is the lilies. These are tiny orange blooms on a single stock about an inch and a half in height….like the contrast with the green. Yellow against the aging grey of the fence. Tall blue delphinium flowers need trying back.

 in Nunavut with the Copper Inuit elders stories, drum dancing, tanning seals skins, making kamiks, throat singing to stunning Arctic scenes...just a few features of this documentary.

Pualuk

vimeo.com

Pualuk is a short documentary about a series of Inuit seal skin mitt-making workshops held at EKATI diamond mine. The purpose of these workshops and others like it, was to introduce BHP Billiton's multi-national employees to local aboriginal culture...

I have not been in Kugluktuk since 2005 and not certain if will return but feel privileged to have experienced many of the above first hand.

Occasionally I cook up Nanuq and Dysis

a treat and

with much interest devoured quickly.

Canada Day fireworks at 11 PM walked down to river valley with some friends... a perfect evening!