Flower tidbit

Yesterday a black Iris bloom fell into the vase that was holding it.  Almost immediately the water turned a rapturous purple!  In the morning the water was clear again.  Oxidation took place.

I continue to be amazed at things like this!  In watercolor class we were talking about how watercolor got started.  It was from just this sort of discovery and on it went.  I wonder if you have ever tried to paint with natural pigments? It would be a good exercise to experiment with berries, flowers, clay, mineral and other plant material in painting.  What makes the pigment permanent?  I am off to learn something! 

Going to the source....

..to find the Camas Lily was on my list of things to do.  The sky was dark, a torrent of rain covered the sky but just as soon as the rain came...the sunshine poured out in a stream of light across the green earth.  I grabbed my camera, raincoat and put on waterproof shoes.  I was intent on finding the blue hued flowers and see that wave of color for myself!

Just beyond the Chritsmas tree field...I could see the blue Camas Lilies gently bending in the soft breeze.

Beautiful....Blue Wave of Color!  I didn't want to leave this spot but there was a possiblity of finding the Oregon Fawn Lily...deep in the woods, so on I went.

  

What is that off in the distance?  It is the Oregon Fawn Lily!  Another rare sighting and worth the trudge through the rain covered forest!

See the spotted leaf at the base of the Oregon Fawn Lily?  It is unmistakeable.   

The Oregon Fawn Lily does not lift its head but hangs over the stem.  

By simply placing the camera underneath the bloom and clicking, the heart of Oregon Fawn Lily is captured. 

After the rain, this was a good day to walk deep into the woods.

Treasures found....and random happenings.

This last weekend, in our area of the Northwest, it was very hot and windy. In years past, when these two conditions have existed, bird nests have fallen from the trees. We found this tiny nest under a fir tree on Sunday. It is a hummingbird nest, made of hair from our Angora and Cashmere goats. The nest couldn't be softer or more comfortable for a baby bird! The hummingbird family was done with their nest so we don't worry about them not having a home.
Another gift from the woods this week are Smoke Pipes or Monotropa uniflora. They grow up out of the earth like ghosts and look like smoke pipes. They are not common but we usually find a few growing in our woods. They grow in dark shady areas, and we have found them at the woods' edge under Douglas Fir trees. If we touch them the heads fall off, indicating their delicate nature.
This is an example of what the heat did to lazy Bart and Simon. They seemed to be unable to move even after several photos were taken during this quiet time, and they could have come in the house where it was cool at any time. We call them "flat cats."
Last night we drove up the Columbia Gorge to have dinner at Skamania Lodge. We took highway 14 out of Camas, Washington. The Lodge sits above the Columbia River and our table looked out over the striking landscape, one we never get tired of seeing.When we returned home we found some very, very guilty looking goats standing outside the fence. After a quick inspection we knew just how much damage they had done!! The good news is that they devoured only the vegetation near the barn and chicken coop. We did find hoof prints at each flower site near the wedding area, but they didn't eat them! Well, one of them bit off a zinnia head but spit it out. Goats are not good pets for people who can't laugh at this kind of behavior!! Stripped roses bushes.....We don't blame them because we left a chain unlatched on the gate after painting the fence, and though we care about our flowers...we love the animals more!! :)) How could anyone be mad at those faces!! That's life on the farm!

Oregon Grown Strawberries!

It's June 14th and these are the first Oregon grown strawberries I have seen this year! Strawberries are normally ready by the first of June in Oregon, but certainly not this cold wet spring. This was a nice surprise to find today because tomorrow is Father's Day and a good time to prepare something special for my sweet husband. We may gorge on strawberries for breakfast, make a pie, or serve with sour cream and brown sugar. What would you do?

I Won!! Thank you, Terra!

I won!! Yeah for me!!
Terra from Terra Garden at http://terragarden.blogspot.com/ just notified me that I won, from a blog drawing, a copy of the book "Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper. "

Terra is a book reviewer for book publicists and authors. She also has a book of her own coming out very soon. Go over to Terra Garden and take a look at her soon to be published book!! It's a very special book that centers around Christmas, including recipes, crafts and the reason we celebrate! She has co-written the book with four other friends.

Thank you, Terra!! This is a very nice surprise!