The Red Trail

I have taken two walks since I last posted about them. Normally, I would combine both of them into one entry but both were so great and I have so many pictures, that I think I will give each one its own space.

Monday was the Red Trail. This is the trail that is mostly in the woods, and I was thinking that I wouldn't find much new to write about, as most of the flowers that bloom in the wooded areas are done, now that the foliage is out. But, I was wrong. I did find that the moss was doing very well.



One of the first flowers I identified was Herb Robert. I am surprised every time I go that it is still blooming, and still beautiful.



We had heavy rains over the weekend, and the many small streams in the woods were running full.






The paths through the woods are so beautiful.







There is a swampy area in the middle of the woods. These reeds are growing there. They are already so tall that I wonder how big they will get by the end of the season.



Do you ever wonder where artists in cartoons got the idea for those scary trees with faces, and long arms that reach out for you? Maybe from trees like this?



I did take the extension to the Red Trail that leads through part of the Great Meadow, again. The raspberries are set and should be ripe in early July. I have wild raspberries around my place, too, and nothing is as good for breakfast as a bowl of them, dead ripe and with a little sugar on top.



The milkweed is closer to blooming.



I got a better picture of the Birdsfoot Trefoil



And, I found the prettiest new flower. This is a Depford Pink and the picture doesn't fully capture it's vibrant color.



There were butterflies everywhere, and I, finally, managed to get some good pictures of at least a couple of them.

Though I have gotten a picture of a Red Admiral Butterfly before, I thought this one was fun because I got a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle in the same shot.



This is a Sachem Butterfly. It's pretty small, and it flits, in the true sense of the word. I must have 15 pictures of where this type of butterfly was, just milliseconds before I took the shot.



This is the shot of the day, though. It's a Question Mark Butterfly. It's a little battered, probably because of the storms over the weekend, but that didn't seem to affect its ability to fly. What a pretty thing to see fluttering among the bushes.



I'll leave you, today, with a picture that may be hard to distinguish. See how the plants are all mushed down in the middle. This is where a deer slept through the night.



Tomorrow, a different place -- The Big Woods.

Will They Think I'm Bigger

if I stretch out reeeeeeeal long?




Becky is my scardy cat, and a tiny little thing. Leon and Rachael both bully her a little, though she is very good at staying out of their way. Gina, of course, is too much of a lady to bully anyone. If Becky would just stand up for herself, maybe the two hooligans wouldn't be so mean to her.

Hen Party

Turkey see, turkey do, I guess. Ever since that one hen found out that my yard was a good place to sunbathe, many of the girls have been congregating in my yard to do a little grooming, and then soak up some rays.

The Orange Trail

This trail is becoming my favorite to walk. It's the one that is more open, in the Great Meadow. As you would expect, there are many more flowering plants to see. Friday, I remembered my sunscreen, and was ready to meander.

You have to walk a little of the Blue Trail to get to the Orange Trail. That trail is full of multiflora roses, most of them white. But, every great once in a while, you'll find one that produces roses with a pink tint. Pretty, eh?



The first part of the Orange Trail is wooded, and I found this pretty little dewberry flower in bloom there.



There were so many flowers blooming, once I got to the Great Meadow.

Ox-Eyed Daisies



Cow Vetch



Campion



Yarrow



White Clover (complete with a real bee. With that disease wiping out large populations of bees, I'm always glad to see one of these guys)



Red Clover



I'm pretty sure that this seedhead is from Yellow Goatsbeard. I first noticed the closed flowers from this plant last week. It is funny, but, though there are lots of them in the Meadow, I have never found one open. I wonder if they are night blooming? Anyway, this time there were these beautiful seedheads and everything I can find indicates that it is, indeed, Yellow Goatsbeard.



And, wait a minute, what's this dianthus doing blooming in the middle of the Meadow?



I seem to be the only one who walks these trails slowly. People on bikes, runners, and even walkers, speed by me. But, if you go so fast, how do you have time to see all of the things that surround you?

Like these ant hills. We had some rain the night before and the sand was just damp enough so that it made these neat little mounds where the ants dropped the grains.



Or this Common Mullien. The plant, when it is mature, will be coarse, and kind of ragged looking. But right now, as it is still growing, the leaf head forms a delicate pattern.



Even this prickery looking plant, that I wouldn't like to come in close contact with, has its own strange beauty.



I saw this little plant in a few places. It may be in bloom by next week, and I'll give identifying it a stab.



Someone has put some bird houses up in the Meadow. Didn't see anyone using them, though.



There were butterflies everywhere. I saw a couple of Yellow Swallowtails, lots of small butterflies with an orangish tint and many that I couldn't even begin to identify. I must have looked like an idiot, stalking a butterfly that had landed, only to have it flit away, just as I was ready to take a picture. I did manage to get a picture of this guy, though. It's a Little Brown Satyr, and there are tons of them in the meadow.



After you leave the meadow, you go back into woods for a way. There is a tiny stream running through this part of the woods, with a little wooden bridge over it. The bridge is clearly marked with this sign.



Doesn't stop the horses, though. They just go right through the mud and water.



There is a clearing in this woods, quite a good sized one. In that clearing I found these purple-flowering raspberries. That was an unexpected flash of color.




It didn't seem like I had been on that trail for an hour and a half. But, my walk was over and it was time to leave. I walked back to the car, got a much needed drink of water, and started to pull out of the driveway.

Wait a minute! What's that by the side of the road? I hit the brakes and took a look. It turned out to be a pretty little flower, but I have absolutely no idea what it is, so I deem it our mystery flower of the week.

Edited to add that I just found it. It's a Rough-fruited Cinqfoil.



I grabbed a couple of quick pictures and was on my way, back to the everyday world.

Out of My Rear Window 6/6/10

We had a heavy rain overnight, which is just now coming to an end. All of the branches on the trees are heavy with water, and hanging much lower than normal. Today is supposed to be cloudy and a lot cooler than it has been, with temperatures not getting out of the '60's. Perfect for a nice afternoon nap.



Nice weather for ducks.

What's This Tree?

I went to Wegman's yesterday. My "I want" tree was in bloom. Every year, when this tree come into blossom, I covet one for myself. But, I don't know what it is. I have even gone so far as to ask the folks at that Wegman's, but they haven't a clue, and looked at me like I was crazy for even asking. So, if anyone knows what kind of tree this is, would you please tell me?

Sigh, then I have to find a place in the yard for one.

An Award, and the State of Flowering Things.

I got this award yesterday from Sandra. Her blog, Elephant Lover, http://sandra-elephantlover.blogspot.com/ a wonderful journey through life in Slovenia. Sandra, I really appreciate this award, thank you very much. I did get it earlier, so I'm not going to repeat my answers to the questions. If you're interested, you can find them here http://livingretiredinwesternnewyorkstate.blogspot.com/2010/05/award.html

There's new "stuff" flowering in my yard right now, including one of my very favorite flowers. The sundrops started to come out yesterday. A few years ago, a friend gave me a few of these. I now have five huge patched, scattered all over the yard, in areas that are sunny, all the way to deep shade. This little flower flourishes in all of them. They'll be blooming for at least a month, and I won't get tired of their cheery little faces.




Isobelle's Lady gave me a Blue Geranium earlier this Spring. It has flourished in its rather mundane location and now has started to flower. Next year, it's getting moved to a location more fitting of its beauty.




The chives are in bloom. Mine come in bloom a little later than most because they're in a pretty shady spot. But, they're another hardy plant and seem to thrive anywhere.




The story behind why this dianthus is blooming in the middle of the woods border is kind of funny. A few years ago, someone gave me a complete "hanging garden" kit. It came complete with the basket, seeds and a strange coconut fiber growing compound. I dutifully put it together and watered it faithfully, but it was kind of a bust. It had nothing but a few white flowers in it. Oh, they were pretty, but it wasn't exactly a stunning arrangement.

So, at the end of the season, I tossed the contents of the basket into the woods, and thought no more about it. Until, the next year, I noticed that there were these beautiful dianthus growing there. They have returned, and multiplied every year. Of course, I now feel obligated to keep all of the weeds away from them, and that area is full of Woodbine (Virginia Creeper) so that can be a heck of a task. Every time I look over there and see those perky little flowers, I have to smile, though.




And finally, I thought maybe you'd like to see how my asters are doing. These are some different kind, and I can't quite remember the name, it's something like Tartarian, or maybe Transylvanian, Aster. Whatever the name is, it is a stunning flower. I normally pinch it back around the first of July, though this year's growing season is so early that I may do it earlier. In the Fall, it will be at least six feet tall, and full of the most beautiful little blue flowers. Along with Mums, it provides the last bit of color before the winter sets in.



This is what they have looked like in previous years.



So, the grass (weeds) is green, and the flowers are blooming. All is well in Louise's yard.