Near our campground, Paulina Lake was clear and fish drifting ten feet deep were visible with great clarity. But over on the northeastern shore of the big lake, prevailing winds had piled up strange gunky wads of pollen and algae in some very psychedelic ways.

Locked in the embrace of hostile, dark, lava rocks arose delicate penstemons. I have often found these flowers growing in extremely wind and sun-blasted locations high in the mountains of Oregon. At times they sport in unlikely islands on the sunny side of glacial moraines far above timberline. They are always a great pleasure.