July 2025 Backyard Bulletin

Cover photo by Christine Estrada.

View the full edition at this link.

This week served a full platter of July offerings. Within a matter of days, we crested 100 degrees, had our first taste of truly smoky skies, weathered a spooky brush fire within Twisp town limits, and braved warp-speed winds. With barely enough time to blink, those same skies turned blue, cherry tomatoes turned red, temperatures retreated into the high 80s, and the river continued to run cold enough to entice a cooling dip.

There's a volatility to July, which I'm not always fond of. The nail biting that comes with hot, windy days in fire season is unpleasant. But then, not knowing what tomorrow will bring is a longstanding argument for enjoying what you have today. I think it's a particularly strong argument in July. In a year as dry as this one, there might be some hard days ahead. But I have a feeling there are some perfectly intoxicating summer days on the horizon, too. Today might even be one of them - don't let it pass you by!

-Bridger Layton, Education Programs Manager