More Montana, and Some Fiber

It's been a very wet summer in Montana. During the past few years, the US Forest Service has been thinning the dense forests of lodgepole pine on Forest Service land (the cabin is on leased FS land). Thinning is done both to reduce the impact of forest fires and to slow the spread of pine bark beetles (the scourge of pine forests). The net result of the two things - more rain and also more sun - means the undergrowth has gone wild.

The wild roses are covered with hips:

The mountain maple that shades the cabin deck has grown about 4 feet, and is absolutely loaded with winged seeds:

The beargrass is flourishing:

And just in case you think there's no fiber stuff happening around here, I'm making progress on the pair of socks that I began on the Panama/Costa Rica trip earlier this year. I turned the heels in the car on the way here, and am now working my way down the gussets: