The sun will rise this morning at 6:53, and set 13 hours 50 minutes later at 8:42 this evening, giving us a day 6 minutes 40 seconds shorter than yesterday. We now have true astronomical night (sun more than 18° below the horizon) for a couple of hours, starting after midnight. The first two days in September gave us more rain than we get in an average whole month of September, so while it’s clear right now, I’m not counting on it staying that way. Clear this time of year means frost danger, anyway.And the forecast for this week is mostly clear to slightly cloudy, with forecast lows in the high 20’s to low 30’s.
Alaska and sunflowers are a chancy combination in September, as we’re already looking over our shoulders for Jack Frost. (Looking over our shoulders? We’ve already had several hard frosts.) But I know where to find a garden of 6 ‘ sunflowers, and I stopped and took a picture on my way to the Farmers’ Market last week. (Good thing I did it in late August, because when I went by two days ago the frost had taken them.) I also have a nice sunflower photo I took sometime in 1971, while I was at NCAR and taking wildflower photos on the Mesa. So while I didn’t purchase or plant a sunflower in Tina Downey’s memory, I am posting these two photos in honor of a much-missed blogging voice. Rest in peace, Tina.
Tina would be pleased to know that sunflowers can be grown in Alaska!
The row I photographed was a good 6′ tall before the frost got them.
Awesome… thank you for sharing.
Couldn’t plant any this time of year, but there are generally some tall ones at the Fair.
That’s wonderful you were still able to find some growing wild!
The photo of the wild one was taken 40 years ago.
These were just perfect.
Well done.
Thank you,
Heather
Glad you liked the photos, but it just is not planting season here.
LOL. Very nice.
Amazing that Tina’s love of sunflowers managed to even reach up to Alaska.
Actually, quite a few people grow them as annuals here.
What a wonderful and original tribute!
Thank you for sharing…
Life is good!
Well, I could hardly plant a sunflower this time of year.
loved it! nice meeting you through Tina
Glad you liked it.
Lovely photos! We’ve had our first snow here in Colorado, but no hard freeze yet. My vegetable garden is happy about that! The growing season’s just too short here.
We’ve has snow at high elevations.