Lotus - Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

I went to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (NPS) located on the eastern side of Washington DC on the Anacostia River. The lotus are blooming almost a month ahead of ‘normal’. Must be due to the two weeks of 90+ degree weather we been having in late June. I expect peak to be over in a week or so for what is blooming. There is a smaller number of heads that are not yet ready to open but this is the week to visit.

June - The Palouse, Washington

I went to the Palouse in Washington State this month and it was an unforgettable trip. I understand why people go back and back and back. The scenery is constantly changing as the

farmers plant different crop every year and every years crops 'bloom' into color at varying times. The tallest vantage point is the Steptoe Butte which rises out of the plain of the Palouse and can be seen for miles. The following shot is of a mustard field which many people believe is a canola field which has the same yellow flowers. No canola was found on this trip but two mustard fields were.

This year the Palouse received quite a bit of rainfall which caused the rust fungus to become active and attack the wheat crop. We spoke with an experienced farmer and he said this is the first time they ever had to deal with rust. For the more immature crops, they rust could be sprayed from a vehicle or tractor/crawler. Being immature, the crop will rebound and straighten itself. For the more mature wheat fields, ariele spaying is need and I saw up to 5 different biplanes spaying through out the region.