Posts from the ‘wildflowers’ category

Indian Paintbrush in the woods

Saturday had that gorgeous morning light and then a sunbreak here and there. Sunday, was overcast, cool at 43F and it rained most of the day. The rain was a gentle, easy rain – the kind of rain that allows everything to get a long, cool drink. The woods floor glows with the color of Spring green.

I was out with Bear. He was preoccupied with a squirrel so I puttered about pulling noxious weeds and digging up thistles…you can not pull thistles unless you are my friend Hal who apparently has VERY tough skin. (a shout out to friends Kris, Hal and Magic: their amazing Samoyed puppy!)

Wandering here and there – amongst the lupins, I found a lone bloom of Indian Paintbrush.

Indian Paintbrush in the woods.

What was the name of Jacques Cousteau’s research vessel?

If you didn’t watch “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau”…BUT, you recognize the wildflower above…

No???

Calypso is the name of Monsieur Cousteau’s ship and the wildflower is a Calypso Orchid…one of my favorites and rare to find in my woods. This year I have found 5! And they survived last weekend’s snow.

Calypso – such a fun word to say. If you were fortunate to grow up with Jacques Cousteau and his grand passion for the undersea world, you are very fortunate!

Calypso was a sea nymph in the Odysseus myth. Additionally, the etomology of “calypso” is something hidden…to cover, to conceal: appropos to the ship as well as the wildflower :) !

The Calypso Orchid – so small and from the top…only a bit of purple leaf.

But, when you really look at what is hidden, what is concealed…

Incredible beauty. An orchid. An exotic. Calypso.

In honor of beauty, passion, exploration and the seeking of knowledge and understanding:

Lyrics | John Denver lyrics – Calypso lyrics

Evening bling

Last evening, Bear and I walked the loop as the sun was getting low – about an hour before official sunset: 7:45 ish. Morning or evening, I love to watch the sun through the woods – the light playing with the ground, the woods plants and the trees.

To the East, the tops of the trees in the small valley between foothills – dramatic contrast in the evening sun break after a cloudy, rainy day.

And the topper? Lupins, dressed in raindrops…a little evening bling :) !

***that little scraggly thing to the bottom right? It is a wildflower (weed?) of some sort. They are all over the woods, but I can’t find them in my flower book. They look like miniature bottle brushes that have seen better days. They make me laugh to see them – silly laughing…fun in the woods laughing – so maybe not a “traditionally” beautiful wildflower, but as in all things, beauty in the eye of the beholder and also not always outward appearance …sometimes beauty [for me] is in how whatever or whoever makes me feel. There…my life metaphor of the day :)!

Glacier Lily

Just to the right of center, a path heads north into the woods in the direction of the state land that borders my property. Just between the first “gateway” of trees, on the right…

…one lone Glacier Lily – the first I’ve seen this Spring.

Glacier Lilies are edible by both people and animals. Bears and rodents eat the root bulbs. Deer and elk eat the seed pods. According to several internet sites, the roots could be pulverized and made into a dressing for skin sores and other parts used to treat colds. The leaves and pods could be eaten raw or cooked.

For me, they are pretty and it is always a nice surprise to find one blooming in my woods.

Baby Lupins

I was walking in the woods…keeping an eye on Bear who was about 120 yards to my north…

My phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket, answered, took care of the call…

Still looking down…

Baby Lupins!!! With a raindrop – like a diamond – in each.