Reaching The Top Of Beebe Hill

I'd chosen to hike up Beebe Hill this summer day because it was a short and easy hike. But after awhile, I began thinking that it was perhaps longer than I'd remembered:

I didn't think I'd ever get an ID on this small wildflower, especially given my flawed photograph. But after searching the Mint family photo album, I think this must have been White Dead-Nettle, Lamium album. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong:

And lots more Jewelweed. I know I've already included it once, but a flower this beautiful deserves another photo:

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I was facing a decision. I'd initially planned to turn left at this trail junction, down a path I'd never before taken which descends a hill down into the forest. But when I reached here and knew the fire tower, lean-to and Opal Pond were at hand, I simply had to turn right and go visit them:

It wasn't very far from the trail junction to our first view of the caretaker's cabin. This is where the fire tower employee used to live when not up high watching for fires:

Someone had planted old fashioned Day-Lilies, Hemerocallis fulva, outside the cabin and they continued to flourish there all these years later:

And what spectacular beauties they were:

And again. I don't think any of the modern hybrids has ever managed to be more lovely than the original:

Daphne and Clover, the two young Papillons, ran around to the front of the cabin and looked stunning in a field of tiny purple flowers. I went over there to see what the flowers were:

But the moment I stepped on them I knew they were Creeping Wild Thyme, Thymus serpyllum or polytrhichus. This common wildflower is not included in my Peterson's Field Guide. I have no idea why they would have omitted such an abundant, beloved and recognizable wildflower even if it is an escaped garden plant:

One more photo of Daphne, panting happily in an aromatic field of Wild Thyme: