Last weekend (July 30) we went on a hike from Pinchot Cabin to Aspen Spring. There is a cabin at Aspen Spring where we stopped for lunch. The flowers and butterflies (Fritlillarys) were out in full force. The Fritillary is one of my favorite Arizona butterflies. They are very showy and, as you can see in the video, when they are distracted by feasting on mint plant flowers, they can be fooled into walking around on your hand. Aelin has become an expert on getting butterflies of all kinds to land on her hand. The flowers in the video are known as Bee Balm, or Oswego Tea. They are a particularly excellent mint plant with very sweet minty leaves. We use it to make a strong mint tea sometimes. It was a perfect day, as it is still monsoon season and the sun was hidden behind clouds much of the time.
Here we are all!
Fritillaries drunk on mint flowers
Aspen Spring source
The cabin at Aspen Spring
A cool bridge made of flat stones placed
on a large log
Good Scottish Thistle!
There were lots of one of my favorites, Indian Paintbrush
