Hawkweed - Hieracium

Orange hawkweed (H. aurentiacum) blossom

 I took this photo of orange hawkweed (hieracium aurentiacum) at the lake. From a distance, it's a rather small and unassuming plant. It's only when you get closer that its drama becomes more evident. Where this photo was taken orange hawkweed is rather rare, so this was a nice find.

Yellow Hawkweed (H. pratense) flower buds

Yellow hawkweed (hieracium pratense) is more common in the area than orange hawkweed. It's a reasonably frequent find in the area. What I like about the closed ones is the visibility of the spikes on the flower buds. All those spines make it look quite forbidding up close.

I'm snuggling with my Molly cat on the couch with a pot of bee balm tea while I try to plan out my day. E is going to be working out of town for the next two months, so we'll only be able to see each other on weekends until I start my vacation mid-August. Since we will essentially no longer be living together for a bit, I'm trying to figure out how to organize household management around the gap. It's slightly depressing work, especially since E will be taking Molly with him starting next week (after she gets her rabies shot). Still, it isn't all bad; we'll still see each other on weekends, and I enjoy having the run of the household, too. We'll manage.