The Monarchs are Coming! The Monarchs are Coming!

They're here. Fall breeding season perhaps? While walking the ridgeline trails, just into the grasses, there were 100s of monarchs this morning. I seem to recall August being the time when I've seen the most in the past, maybe climatic conditions this season have made a difference.

What a year for wildflowers too. Wow. All that rain has given us more compass plants than I've ever seen. Any semi low area with some moisture is just crawling with these, most 3-4 feet tall. We had a patch of 20 pop up almost literally overnight down by the creek after a big rain.

Garlic mustard and Queen Anne's Lace, two invasive but somewhat pretty species, are everywhere. Encouragingly, I've also witness quite a bit of Blue and Heath Aster, Leadplant, and what I think is Blazing Star.

These plants give one last gasp and try and seed before the cold nights kill them off. The angle of the sun is changing daily, last night was 45 for a low, but oh these days, the wildflowers are fleetingly here to mark their passing.