We went for a walk last evening--the dogs, Toby, my digital camera and I. It's a great way to unwind after a day in the office. Along the lane beside my pasture, there are dozens of interesting things to look at and photograph. I'm walking and thinking about my digital camera. Digital, what an huge stride forward. Of course I loved my old Canon EOS SLR too, but how great to snap away with a 4 gig memory card. No worries about changing film. Take a dozen photos of the same squirrel, save one and delete 11. No hassles having the film processed (or lost by the processor as happened to me on several occasions). Light weight, 12x zoom lens (which is approximately equal to a 432mm lens) but without the weight and without having to carry a bag with lenses and tripods.
Growing along the lane are two milk weed plants, huge blooms just opening. Lovely fragrance. No Monarch caterpillars on the pristine foliage, I always look.
Off by the fence, Queen Ann's Lace stands tall above the grass. Today she is just opening her blossoms to host the tiny predator wasps. On a more romantic note, the flower was named for Queen Ann of course who enjoyed sewing beautiful lace. The red at the bloom's center is a tiny drop of her blood, dripped onto the lace from a finger prick.
I barely noticed the clover. One is growing in wheel ruts or I would have missed it. No bees, they may have deserted the clover for the QAL. Had to lay in the grass to get this prospective.
To make a prairie, it takes a clover and one bee. One clover, and a bee.
And reverie.
The reverie alone will do If bees are few.
~ Emily Dickinson
A little song sparrow follows us along the fence row. He probably has a nest nearby and isn't happy to see the cat walking along his lane. The feathers on his head are standing up, he looks a little frazeled. Maybe the cat or maybe his kids are giving him a hard time. I wonder if he is the same song sparrow who sat in my locust tree and sang so loudly and sweetly early in the spring. He was a bachelor then with no cares.
The horses used to stand in the shade of this old apple tree. They picked the low hanging fruit and waited for the rest to fall. Now the deer get all the apples.
When we reach the hilltop beside the barn, a squirrel is checking out the logs that are often stuffed with peanut butter. Peanut butter is meant to attract birds so I can photograph them. The squirrels get the largest share.
I had to include Toby's photo, he sometimes thinks he's wild. This old, abandoned piece of farm equipment fascinates him. He wants his own blog post. He's pretty full of himself and thinks everybody would be interested in his thoughts.
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*********Milkweed
Two days ago I walked the empty woods, bent over, crunching through oak leaves, asking myself questions without answers. From somewhere a froth of seeds drifted by touched with gold in the last light of a lost day, going with the wind as they always did.~Philip Levine
I love this brief poem by Melanie Bishop. Seed of whim and chance, what perfect words to describe a wild flower. Click on her name to see more of her poems.
forgotten of days passed
seed of whim and chance
wild Queen Anne's lace
queen anne's lace
forgotten of days passed
seed of whim and chance
wild Queen Anne's lace
queen anne's lacea wild queen of dirt roads & deserted places
with blossoms which crown the summer
& dust kitchen tablecloths with pollen bouquets
queen anne's lace tats the roadsides creamy white
looking delicate as a lineaged lady
it grows deep rooted
strong as a woman
pioneer
I've heard this weed called cow parsley or cow parsnips. I don't believe that's the correct name. Cow parsley has a white bloom. These weeds get 6 to 8 feet tall.
Hope everyone has a weekend filled with long walks and butterflies.
