Salsify

Some call it goat's beard, but salsify is a lot more fun to say. 
Here's a during and after bloom from my front yard.

Concrete Prairie

All three of these were right on the beaten path near my office this morning... a walkway adjacent to their more preferred habitat. As it was a fairly cool morning for June in Kansas, they must have been enjoying the warmth held by the concrete.

Sand Plums

Just a few weeks ago, the sand plums were beginning to blossom...

... and yesterday, we picked our first sand plums, using them to make the most delicious jelly.  (The red jelly is made from the sand plums, the orange is jam from some apricots a friend gave us from his backyard tree.)

Early Morning Hike