Cooling Off

Well, it's that time of year. The time when I give up on toughing out the heat and put a window air conditioner in the living room. This year I got a new one. There was nothing mechanically wrong with the old, except that it was too large for me to move by myself. It wasn't the weight. It was the size. I could not get a solid grip on the opposite side to carry it. This was not a problem when I still had a roommate, but, at the moment... It's much more practical for me to have one I can move by myself. Also, this one doesn't require any outside support pieces.

Anyway, one last set of flowers and I'll be caught up. These are from West Mink Creek.

This is Mountain Hollyhock again, which turns out not to be a true hollyhock at all. :^D It's actually in the mallow family. Ah well. So Pam and I were both right.


This one looks like an orange dandelion, and, like dandelions, is in the aster family. Agoseris aurantiaca, or Orange Agoseris. Interestingly, the sap contains rubbery compounds.


Lastly, some berries that are NOT edible. Baneberry, Actaea rubra. In fact, the entire plant is poisonous, not just its berries. No reported North American fatalities, but according to PRM: "2 berries can cause severe cramps, headaches, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and/or dizziness. Severe poisoning results in paralysis of the respiratory system and cardiac arrest."