Driving up to Song Kul lake

We are up above the tree line driving to Song Kul lake. A very high lake at over three thousand metres. The mountains look like giant elephants hiding together under dusty green tablecloths. We have passed above the mountain pastures and there is dirty summer snow in the broken edges beside the road that loops and bends back on itself up from the valley. Opportunistic wild flowers quilt across every patch of dirt. Dusty purple spears. Tiny saffron poppies. Fluffy grey thistles. Delicate flat purples. Dandelions. Golden primroses. I definitely want to call a pony Primrose one day, now that I have seen how pretty they are. Two ponies. Primrose and Poppy. There are pinky white pussywillow-ish flowers. Raggedy grey-green edelweiss (the song lied!). And tiny vivid blue and white stars peeping out of the grass.

When you open the truck window to take a photo the air burns your nostrils with the promise of sub-zero temperatures tonight.

The sparkles across the lake make it look warmer than it is. The dark aqua blur underneath is more in keeping with its 11 degrees.