Wild Phlox

Phlox is a native plant we can delight in.  There are many forms and colors, including red, and they can be found from the woodlands to the prairies to the alpine tundra.

Beloved of groundhogs, rabbits, and deer, their leaves also provide food for moths.

These were so pretty that I took dozens of photos of them.  The blue and purple ones were my favorite.  And I loved the little star shape in the center of each flower.

The word phlox comes from the Greek indicating a flame-colored plant.  It literally means "flame".

Found on the Trail: Henry Knox

In honor of the 4th of July, I am going to write about Revolutionary War hero, Henry Knox, who was found on the trail, serving his yet-to-be country.

The Revolutionary War began in April 1775.  Shortly thereafter, the British Fort Ticonderoga was captured by by the Americans in May 1775.  In July 1775, George Washington came into command in the Boston area.  He needed  heavy weaponry to use against the British occupiers, and so in November 1775, he appointed Henry Knox to go to Fort Ticonderoga and get the cannons there.

Henry Knox was young - just 25 years old.  He was a book seller, with an interest in military history.Knox accepted the charge began his journey in November, traveling from Massachusetts to upstate New York.  He reached the fort on December 5, 1775.

He and his men moved the heavy weaponry, first over Lake George, where their transport boat nearly sank and had to be bailed out, and then over land.

In all they were moving 60 tons of artillery.  The bigger cannons weighed over 5,000 pounds apiece.  Somehow, 80 yoke of oxen were acquired.  That was just one hurdle.  Knox couldn't go to a stockyard and say, "Yes, I'll take 160 of your strongest oxen.  And after they were obtained, these oxen then had to be fed and cared for all along the way, and their harnesses had to be maintained and repaired.  Knox also had 42 sledges built, to haul the heavy weaponry.  These were built by hand.  That was another challenge.  They couldn't just walk into a lumber store and order the wood and nails they needed

Their "road" was more of a rugged trail - not a smooth, super highway.  And remember, this was December.  At times they had to break a path through deep snow.  The men had to hike, and camp, and cook out in these cold and wet conditions.  There were no convenient Motel 6's and Country Kitchens to stop at.

They had to go over mountains, like the Berkshires.  They also had to cross rivers, including the Hudson.  The ice on the rivers was not completely frozen.  Many cannons fell through the weak ice, but amazingly, in each case, the cannons were retrieved.  Imagine how they went about doing that in the deep, freezing water.

Knox had discipline issues to deal with, as well.  He had men who refused to go any further.  Toward the end of the journey, he had to find new forces to complete the journey.  Finally, in late January 1776, after a trip of over 300 miles, he and the cannons arrived.  Can you imagine walking 300 miles, or even riding a horse 300 miles, in good weather, with modern conveniences - let alone carrying 600 tons of gear with you.  What these men did was amazing.

These cannons were used a short time later, in March 1776.  George Washington and his army used this weaponry to drive out the British from Boston - a major victory.

Where would we be without the dedication and ingenuity of Henry Knox and  his men?   They traveled a dangerous, backbreaking road in rough conditions for weeks in order to secure fire power for the newly formed Continental Army.  Today, and every day, my hat is off to the men and women who have won and preserved our freedom.  May we always find ourselves on such worthy paths.

Bats in the Kiva

Out at camp, one of the scouts told me that there was a bat in the kiva.  From that moment I was on a mission to get my good camera and hustle over there to see what I could see.  Sure enough, there was a bat there, and three or four of his good friends.

Having never before photographed a bat, I was thrilled.  For me, this was big game! Here's a picture of one of the little guys.

The kiva is an outdoor shelter, with a few picnic tables under it.  It has no walls, and is open to the air, but the roof provides shade, and apparently - habitat for bats and wasps.

Based on their size and coloring, and the length of their ears, I think that these were Little Brown Bats, which are very common in this area.

Bats often huddle together to stay warm, but on this particular afternoon, that wasn't necessary as it was pretty hot out.  Still, the females do form nursing colonies with their young at this time of the year.  The males hang out separately.  My guess is that this one and his buddies were males.

Here's a close up.

Now, I probably would scream if a bat fluttered too close to my head, but honestly, isn't this little guy cute?  He's even smiling for the camera!

Know Your Thistles

Who knew that there were so many different kinds of thistle?  There's milk thistle, bull thistle (also known as spear thistle or Scotch thistle), Canada thistle, tall thistle, globe thistle, fringed thistle, plumeless thistle, wavy-leaf thistle, mountain thistle, prairie thistle, swamp thistle, pasture thistle, elk thistle, sow thistle, Parry's thistle, Drummond's thistle, Flodman's thistle, yellow star thistle, purple star thistle, and plain old yellow thistle - just to name a few.  There are over 200 kinds.  Some are native and some are not.

To the best of my research, these pictured here are of the musk thistle variety.  I loved this beautiful little stand.

Milk thistle will often have drooping heads, which lends to their other name - nodding thistle.

I came across them one morning, and they glowed with a beautiful luminescence in the early sunlight.  Take a gander.

In spite of how gorgeous they are, milk thistle are considered noxious weeds. They are an invasive species, and were brought to the U.S. in the early 19th century.  Farmers work hard to eradicate them from pasture and farm land.

The Buttonbush

Saw this cool tree yesterday.  Found out it is a Buttonbush.  It grows in the water, or in wet soil, and that's where we saw it - along the river.  It is called a bush but can grow into a tree of 12 - 15 feet.

The perfectly round, white flowers are about the size of a ping-pong ball, and are covered with a beautiful fringe of styles - like a pin cushion.  These ripen into green fruits, which can remain on the tree throughout the fall, eventually turning brown.  I've never noticed these amazing flowers before, and upon seeing them, I felt like I was looking at something from fairyland.

This is a native species, and very useful.  Wood ducks nest in it, butterflies feed on the flower nectar, waterfowl eat the seeds, and deer browse on its leaves.  When growing in water, its lower portion provides a home for tiny organisms that are eaten by fish.  They are also called Button-Willows, and Honey Bells.

Walk Along the River

Checked out a new trail along the river today, with Hyperion.  We found lots to look at, such as these trees, who have been busy planting their colony out into the river.

Red tree fungi.

These willows have also made their move, taking root in the river.

I liked this little "wreath" of leaves I found on the forest floor.

We came upon this man-made structure.  It was bigger than it looks here.  We wondered if someone meant to light it on fire.  If so, it would have been massive blaze.

As we walked under the shade of the forest, we found that parts of the understory were completely taken over by poison ivy.  Here's a shot of it.  It completely filled my photo screen.

Another manmade structure.  This was right near a recently used fire pit on the shore.  Hyperion figured it must have been a holder for someone's fishing pole.  

I just loved this leaf - the variations in color, and its toothy edges.

Rows of fuzzy green fungi.

Disco balls!

More leaf litter.

Hyperion, holding a lotus pod from last year.

Rabid Squirrel

Everyone's ok now, but we had a little excitement at our house when a rabid squirrel bit Jason on the finger, and wouldn't let go!  ;)

The squirrel kept a firm grip and dangled on the end of Jason's finger for several minutes, until the animal control people arrived and detached it.  Thankfully, no stitches were needed.

It was later found that the squirrel was a rare Silver Squirrel, not native to this country.  Now that's something you don't see every day!

I-74 Bridge

Here is the I-74 bridge.  This picture was taken on a lovely spring night, as I walked along the river parkway on the bike path.  The colors in the sky were gorgeous.

This is a suspension bridge, designed by Ralph Modjeski, who was born in Poland around the time of the Civil War.  He studied under one great bridge builder, and trained many others in his career, and built dozens  of bridges over the major rivers in North America.  This one carries over 77,000 people a day back and forth between Iowa and Illinois.

Luna Moth

This is a Luna Moth.  If you have ever seen one, you know you were in the presence of something extraordinarily beautiful.  The group I was with acted with something almost like reverence when we came upon this one in the afternoon grass.  Sadly, it appeared to have been injured.  (Note the discoloration on the left wing.)

These moths are huge, and strikingly beautiful in appearance.  They have a white body, and pale green wings, with tails.  Their wingspan can be as big as 4 1/2 inches wide, making them one of the biggest moths in North America.

Luna was the Roman godess representing the moon, and is the Latin word for that heavenly body.  The name was applied to this moth due to the moon-like, transparent eyespots on its wings.  They are also classified as members of the Saturniidae family, which name comes from the planet Saturn.  Saturn has rings around it, just as the eye spots have rings around them.

Brown-Headed Cowbird

Here's a new one for me - a Brown-Headed Cowbird.

Hyperion helped me identify this bird.  He has a quick eye, and catches the details of their appearance much better than I.  I don't see so well.  So, I take as many photos of the subject as I can, and then go home to confirm my identification with the still shots.

The identification for this bird wasn't hard, as this bird clearly has a brown head, and there aren't any close look-alikes to mix it up with.  For the males, anyway.  The females would be a lot more difficult to identify without a good, clear look or photo, as they are much more drab in appearance.

These birds usually travel in flocks, and often hang out around herds of grazing animals, such as cows, to eat the insects stirred up by the larger animals.  They used to accompany the great bison herds on the plains, which are no more.

They are considered parasitic, because the mother birds will lay their eggs, one at a time, in the nests of different birds, who often end up raising the baby at the expense of their own young.  However, some birds kick the strange egg out of their nest, or kick out the baby bird once hatched.

Orphans

I had a little fun with that poor mole yesterday, when I wrote my post "Body Found on Trail".  However, writing about that mole and wondering if it was a mother mole with babies in the den, reminded me of a poem I am going to share here.

This is Lew Sarett's poem, "Four Little Foxes".  The season doesn't match our current summertime, but the sentiment does.

..................................................

Speak gently, Spring, and make no sudden sound
For in my windy valley yesterday I found
New born foxes squirming on the ground
Speak gently.


Walk softly, March, forbear the bitter blow,
Her feet within a trap, her blood upon the snow,
The four little foxes saw their mother go
Walk softly.


Go lightly, Spring, oh give them no alarm;
When I covered them with boughs to shelter them from harm
The thin blue foxes suckled at my arm
Go Lightly.


Step softly, March, with your rampant hurricane
Nuzzling one another and whimp'ring with pain,
The new little foxes are shiv'ring in the rain
Step softly.


..................................................

This is a sad poem, and I don't like the content, but I do admire the way it is written.  In the second stanza, for example, I like the way that the phrase "the bitter blow" could mean, among other things, the deadly cold wind and temperatures, or the actual death of the fox kits themselves.  And throughout the poem, by imploring Spring and March to be gentle and soft, the tenor of the poem matches the way in which the long, straightforward descriptions are cut short by the final beseeching imperative at the end of each stanza, almost most like the author is hushing the entities he is addressing, and the readers as well.

Body Found on Trail

This time I knew exactly what I was looking at.  I'm a slough sleuth.  I investigate nature's crime scenes.

It was an early morning in a forest "that knows how to keep its secrets".*  A mole was lying dead, spread-eagle on the trail.  His tail had been - gnawed on.

When I got back to headquarters and reported what I had found to Hyperion, he said, "Are you sure it's not a vole or a shrew?"  But I knew what I had seen. It was definitely a mole.  An Eastern Mole.

The evidence was plain.  Shrews and voles are only 1 - 4 inches long, or a bit longer, whereas moles are 4 - 6 inches long.  Big difference.  Plus, moles have very distinctive snouts and limbs.

Get a load of the paws on this guy.  They looked unreal to me, but I can see how they would help a mole "swim" through the dirt in his neighborhood.

A mole is a solitary creature, except during mating season.  Read:  Does not play well with others!  They live underground, tunneling, and eating worms and insects, minding their own business.  This one looked innocent enough, except for a few grains of sand under his chin.  But looks can be deceiving.

I tried to get a centipede - the only witness - to spill the dirt, but he wasn't talking.

I was left to my own questions.  Had the perpetrator dug the mole out of his tunnel?  Was it a fox, maybe, or a coyote?  You know how wily those predators can be.  If so, why leave the body here, in plain sight?  Or had the mole gotten caught out above ground, in a web of intrigue and deceit?  Had he been carrying secret information to an unknown contact?  Had he been set up?  Had he been picked off by an owl, suddenly and silently appearing out of the dark night?  Had he slipped from his raptor's talons only to fall to his death on the trail?  Even worse - was it a female, forced into a life of crime to make ends meet?  Not a John Mole, but a Jane Mole? Were there, perhaps, baby moles in a secret den somewhere, waiting for her to come back?

This is me, a woman still "trying to find the answers to life's persistent questions"*, signing off.

*Credit for these phrases goes to Garrison Keillor from "A Prairie Home Companion" radio program, as I copied some material used in his weekly segment about stock character, Guy Noir, Private Eye.

Whitetail Dragonfly

This is a Common Whitetail Dragonfly, and it is a male.  The females don't have the white abdomens - theirs are brown.  Also the females have different bands on their wings.

The dusty white or frosted coloration reflects heat away from the body, and may act as a threat to other males.

This dragonfly is also called a Long-Tailed Skimmer.  Sadly, this fellow must not have skimmed quite fast enough, because you can see a big chunk of  his left, rear wing has been taken out by somebody.  They are preyed upon by fish, frogs, birds, turtles, bats, spiders, and even some wasps.

Clubtail Dragonfly

While camping on the Mississippi recently, this black and yellow visitor alighted on our picnic table one afternoon.  See how the tip of its abdomen is swollen?  This is an identifying feature of the Clubtail Dragonfly.

There are several kinds of Clubtail Dragonflies, but I believe this one to be a Plains Clubtail, which is the most common variety.

Check out those amazing legs, feet, and enormous eyes!  He looks like he's coming right at you!

The scientific order of insects which includes dragonflies and damselflies is called Odonata, which comes from the Greek word for tooth.  (They have teeth on their mandibles.)

The word Odonata is, of course, related to words like orthodontist, dandelion (from the French "dent-de-lion" which means lion's tooth), rodent (from the Latin, meaning "to gnaw") and even Dentyne (the brand name of a gum promoted as an aid to oral health, which combined portions of the words "dental" and "hygiene").

Thistle Stars

Hyperion and I took a walk yesterday, and I was in raptures with the glory of the thistles.  They were so beautiful!

Here are just some of the "stars".

Their intricate details are stunning.

I may have to get a large print of one of these made up and hang it on my wall.  I love the perfect symmetry!

Hyacinths to Feed Thy Soul

Yesterday's post on Spring Beauties, and the quote used there, reminded me of a poem.  You probably know it already.  It goes like this:

"If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store
Two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul."

Photo courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net by Vera Kratochvil

This poem was written by Shaikh Saadi, a famous Persian poet, who was born in the late 1100's.

I love how people can communicate through time and space with their writing. Upon reading Saadi's peom, we instantly have a connection with this man who lived hundreds of years before us.  Suddenly the chasms of time and culture begin to be bridged.  If he felt like that, and so do I, then what else might we have in common?

Spring Beauties

These are Spring Beauties.

If you see this little wild flower, than you know that spring has definitely arrived.  They like the dappled sunlight and the rich soil to be found in undisturbed woodlands.

Believe it or not, these tiny little flowers have edible tubers that can be cooked just like potatoes.  They are sometimes called "fairy spuds".  They are quite small.

I love their beautiful starry shape, and gorgeous, delicate stripes.

Euell Gibbons, author of Stalking the Wild Asparagus, wrote, "The tubers are good food for the body, but after a long winter, the pale-rose flowers in early spring are food for the soul."  Indeed.

Friends

Sometimes it is good to be alone in the woods, and contemplate the beauty of the world, and our purpose in being here.  There is time and space for quiet reflection and soul searching.

Other times it is good to have a friend with us.  Nothing can replace a good friend, who will sit and listen when we need to talk.  They help us process the perplexities of the world, and our experiences in it.

I'm thankful for all the "trail buddies" in life.

"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."  Proverbs 27:9

Smooth Operators

This smooth operator is a common Buckeye butterfly.

The males like to hang out on drugstore corners plants that are low to the ground, looking for females passing by.  They patrol their turf  the surrounding area, and bully chase off other insects.  Their gang symbol eyespots, worn on the wings, may help scare off predators.

As of yet, entomologists have no proof that they slick back their hair with pomade, but they have confirmed the use of aftershave pheromones in attracting the ladies their mates.  This species is so common that it is obvious they have mastered dating courtship rituals.  They range all the way from Canada to South America, avoiding haircuts and full-time employment.

Another Black Barrel

Guess what I found?  Another black barrel!

I was looking at some shots I took at the lake out at scout camp, and what did I find in the background?  Another black barrel!  It's hard to tell from this distance, but it looks very similar to the ones I found in the spring.  Of course - this one is not crushed.

They are obviously meant to be homes for birds, but what kind?  Wood Ducks seems to be the obvious answer, especially since both barrel sightings were very near to water, but I want to be sure.

I called up the ranger and asked him about the barrel, thinking he could give me the scoop.  But it was not to be.  He's seen the barrel, but it was installed before he came on the scene.  So... the mystery continues.

I plan to go back out there and investigate.

Black-Eyed Susans

Look at these glorious Black-eyed Susans!

I found these near the trailhead of one of my favorite walks.  They are also sometimes called Gloriosa Daisies, Poorland Daisies, and Yellow Ox-eye Daisies.  I love knowing the various names given to a single flower because it reflects so much of what different groups of people in different regions thought of the plant.

This plant is native to North America, and is related to the Purple Coneflower, which is similarly structured.

The scientific name for this flower is Rudbeckia hirta.  Where does this come from?  Rudbeckia honors a famous botanits named Olaus Rudbeck, born in 1660.  Linnaus, who had been a student of Rudbeck's, named a whole genus of flowers after him.  And the "hirta" part?  That is related to the word "hirsute" and refers to the hairy leaves and stems.  (You can see the hairs on the stems in both pictures.)  So there you have it.

Haploa Clymene

Isn't this a striking moth?  He sure caught my attention.

I saw it last night while walking the nature trail out at camp.  I've never noticed a moth of this design before.  When I got home I looked it up.  There wasn't much to find.

Haploa Clymene is a little bit unusual because it is active both day and night.  If he had spread his wings, we would have seen a beautiful orange-buff or yellow color underneath.

There were several figures in Greek mythology who went by the name of Clymene, the most prominent of which was the mother of Prometheus and Atlas.  I'm not sure why this moth got this particular name, however.