Tag: hiking

Forest Treasures

On By Mike and Christy7 Comments

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Finding wild Orchids growing in the forest always feels like finding a little treasure, a treasure offered by the forest itself. Sometimes the treasure is small and hidden deep in the undergrowth as was the fairy slipper above.

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Other times the treasure sits alone in the forest waiting for you to some along as this spring coral root did on recent day.

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And every once in awhile the treasure sings out to you saying look at me as the Striped Coralroot has a habit to do.Treasures_4Any time I find these orchids growing in the forest it does indeed feel like finding a small treasure that brightens the day.

The whole

On By Mike and Christy7 Comments

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“the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

Sometimes that feels so very true. On a day where flowers mix with trees and rock and all blend into one. A single memory, a single thought and a single feeling of a day and a place.

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All combine to make the whole.THe_whole_3

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Ok…the parts are pretty fantastic as well.THe_whole_6

Into the sunset

On By Mike and Christy4 Comments

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Two mule deer fawns head off into the sunset through fields of sunflowers and balsam root with grasses just tall enough to easily slip out of sight when need be. They were not alone this evening as Mom was just ahead leading and teaching these two little ones the ways of Mule Deer life as they quietly slipped off into the sunset.

Fresh from the fields

On By Mike and Christy9 Comments

While strolling the fields to see who’s there we found a handful of newcomers that will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Some in small patches and some stand alone. Some out in the open while some hide along the forest edge.
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A nice patch of Parry’s Townsend Daisies seem to shine even without the sunlight on a cloudy afternoon.

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This beautiful flower (identified with the help of troutlily57) is a Death Camus. All parts of this wildflower contain toxic chemicals (alkaloids) said to be more potent than strychnine…yikes.

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I think this small beauty is in the Phlox family. Yet the specific species needs further investigation.

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Finally a beautiful Chocolate Lilly. These are always somewhat sparse and this year the flower seem unusually small.

All beautiful finds and fresh from the fields close to home.

Purple

On By Mike and Christy6 Comments

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Today is Purple day. Don’t ask me why…it just is. So on that note a smattering of purple wildflowers seen on various hikes not too far from home.

Above a field of Lupine sparkles on a rainy morning walk.

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A purple Monkey flower added to the bouquet.

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A Purple Pulsitila hanging just right.

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And to top it all off Larkspur is another fine addition to the collection of local wildflowers blooming this time of year.

Many different shades but all of them say purple to a tee.