Total 11 including the guide and the sweep. Similar view, less flowers than last year. I found today's participants are not as knowledgable as last year's, and our sweep, a nice lady, isn't really interested in the plants. First, Ralph listed introduced some field guides in the back of his truck, and those in his pockets (including a bird book). We then saw some effort to curtail blackberry (spray). 
It's good to refresh my failing memory about Poison Hemlock, Sumacs, Wooly Mollen with its last year's flower stalk, Chevil, Henbit, Wormwood, Wild Rye and other bunch grasses. I didn't know that alders have cones, balsamroot has thousands of flower-let, tumbleweed is called Russian Thistle whose flower bracts are most prickly. Current condition: lupine is just budding, same with cluster lily. The most flowers now are barestem desert parsley, prairie stars, Longleaf Phlox on the middle trail. In about 2 weeks, it might be the best time to visit. 
We also saw Orange Tip and Morning Cloak butterflies. Saw some male Autubon's Yellow-rumped Wabler, osprey. Lots of gulls on the river: they fly a bit upstream, and float down before the confluence, and loop again. Smelt run now?
We finished later than I thought, almost 3pm. So warm that I was sweating, a bit breezy, partly sunny. My rental car says 66°F.
Visited Maryhill Stonehenge, which is less than 20 minutes away on the WA side, east of Hwy-97. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River. A memorial with such a commanding view. I cannot believe that I never come here before. Large parking lot, no shade. Warm, a bit windy. You can see lots of wind turbines on the hills behind. A small memorial by the visitor center. Wilting iris and a busy gecko. 3 honey buckets.
Another reason to come here now is the solar (4pm) and night (8:30pm) shows by Goldendale Observatory. This is the temporary location until the upgrade of the observatory is finished, scheduled to reopen in summer of 2019. Today, about 7 adults and 5 kids. I really enjoyed this hour long presentation. First we looked through this portable telescope, with an Etalon Optic filter/lens. It's only picking up the alpha frequency of hydrogen. The sun looks red-orange, with a prominence at the right lower end right now. This one is also fit with a GPS tracking box, which continuously tuned to track where the sun is. Then we go into the visitor center, now curtain shut with rows of chairs and a screen behind a desk and computer. Much cooler inside. I learned a lot today, if I can remember all. When the presentation was finished, I tried to look at the telescope again, but it was clouded over. Getting a bit chilly too.
On the way back, I climbed over the Horsethief Butte, and looped back via the flat trail. Got a tick during the scramble. Balsamroot is blooming nicely here. Death Camas and Oregon grape were blooming. I could see ghostly Mt Hood in the clouds. My car was the only one in the small parking lot.I drove up Dalles Mt Ranch hoping to see more balsamroot. But too early. The slopes here are covered with small Pungent Desert Parsley, so all creamy yellow. I didn't take any photo here. No sunset to speak of: clouds were too thick. Rain when I got back to Portland.
