4A
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APPEAL TRIBUNE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016
Life in the
Valley y
sanews@salem.gannett.com
JUSTIN MUCH/STAYTON MAIL
Power lines pull through wheat field going toward golden during summer’s first week in the foothills.
SUMMER'S
FIRST WEEK IN
THE CASCADE
FOOTHILLS
As the weather warms up on the
valley floor, traffic tends to pick up
through incrementally climbing ter-
rain, such as that of the Cascade foot-
hills.
Summer temperatures weathered
into place over the first week of the
season, which in turn circulated pop-
ulace to some popular swimming holes,
shady spots and hiking or picnicking
areas.
The rural landscape donned the
floral tones of the season, which in-
cluded roadside beards of ferns, fes-
cue, bent grass and other verdant vol-
unteers bushing up through the ditches
and specked with a variety of blooms
that heavily favored foxglove and daisy
petals or non-blown frizzy dandelion
tops awaiting a re-seeding breeze.
Planted seed and grain crops early in
the hillside ascent begin to pale with
the waning June days, awaiting swath-
ing or harvest, while slightly higher
elevations afford tree shrouds that
provide some respite from temper-
atures expected to hang high and hot
through the coming weeks and months.
JUSTIN MUCH | STAYTON MAIL
Summer's first week in the foothills proved favorable to foxglove.
—Justin Much
ANNETTE UTZ/SPECIAL TO THE STAYTON MAIL
Silverton area’s Silver Creek Reservoir saw popularity rise with the temperatures during the
first week of summer 2016.
JUSTIN MUCH/STAYTON MAIL
Evergreen canopy provides some respite from the heat during summer’s first week in the
foothills.
JUSTIN MUCH | STAYTON MAIL
Roadsides beard up with bent grass, fescue and other varieties of verdant volunteers during
summer's first week in the foothills.