Wildflower Fence Walks

I took two walks one day along the fence line, once for enjoyment and once to repair the fence. I was amazed both times at the spectacular displays of wildflowers I saw. This wild collection for instance was Queen Anne's Lace, Red Clover, Black-Eyed Susan and Goldenrod:

 Just a few steps farther and I saw Common Boneset (more on this later in this post), Purple Loosestrife and Goldenrod:

 But what on earth were these tiny, daisy-like flowers? I took a number of photos to look them up back in the house:

 I looked them up and decided that they were probably Tradescant's Aster, a new plant for me. I later found a picture of Prairie Fleabane and thought that it might be that also. Whatever it was, it was interesting:

 This single Common Mullein stood five feet high and right next to the fence wire (I'd turned off the electricity):

 A close-up of Common Mullein's flowers:

 This was a familiar old favorite which, for most of my life, I called Coffee Grounds. The real name is Curly (or Curled) Dock, but when we were kids, we'd strip the seeds from the stalk and pretend they were coffee grounds, which they did resemble:

 I don't remember Common Boneset ever growing in my fields before, but there is a lot of it this year:

 Boneset got its name because its leaves are joined at the stalk, prompting pioneers to think it could heal broken bones. Native Americans knew better and used it for fevers and as an antibiotic/anti-viral. Some people still use it today:

 My photo of these minuscule flowers wasn't very good. They were exceedingly small and looked a lot like Lobelia flowers. I looked them up when I got back to the house and decided that they were indeed a form of Lobelia, named Indian Tobacco. They were mostly lavender color although they look white in this photo:

 Queen Anne's Lace and St. Johnswort. The day honoring St. John's Day beheading is coming up and I must remember to test the sap to see if it is red:

Settling Into Summer

The pigeons are thriving and seem happy. One old timer passed away peacefully, presumably from old age, but a baby was fledged and took his or her place. I still have 27 birds:

But then two new babies hatched. They often don't live, so I watched for a couple of days and everything seemed fine:

I didn't handle them, but I did get a closeup:

And I also got a short video of one of the parents feeding them:


There is a section between the road and "lawn" (I use quotes because it's not much of a lawn, though it is mowed) is a strip of wildflowers, including these Deptford Pinks and Oxeye Daisies:

And Common Mullein. I used to call this Moth Mullein, but learned that I was wrong: This plant grows tall and I've been told that some Native Americans considered it to have spiritual power. I've come across these majestic plants at night, lit by a full moon, and agreed with that idea:

And Common St. Johnswort. I've read that if you break a stem on August 29, the day of St. John's beheading, the sap will be red like blood. I tried it once, years ago, with questionable results - it sort of worked and sort of didn't. I hope to remember to try again this year:


The little rock garden was suddenly filled with yellow Asiatic Lilies and Blue Sea Holly:

I've been waiting for the Blue Sea Holly to actually turn blue, and it's finally begun to show some blue color:

The flowers are supposed to be bigger, though, so I'll keep watching them develop:

Summertime On The Farm

It's midsummer and life on the pasture is relaxed and comfortable:

I saw windfall cherries all over the ground beneath the cherry tree and thought this year's crop was lost:

 But then I looked up and saw lots of baby cherries still on the tree:

 There are many green baby pears on the pear tree:

And a few red baby pears also. I don't know why some are turning red so early, but I'm pretty sure this happens every year:

 The plum tree is loaded with baby plums:

 And the unmowed places near the road are filled with Northern Bedstraw, Mullein and Butter-And-Eggs:

 A close-up of Butter-And-Eggs:

 My favorites were this Deptford Pink, surrounded by Northern Bedstraw:

 The apple trees in the grove are mostly without fruit, but the two trees on the other side of the house have lots of baby apples:

 I saw this patch of Lesser Stitchwort, a kind of Chickweed, in a spot next to the barn door where I couldn't mow:

 Lesser Stitchwort, up close, is really quite attractive:

The Southville State Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were walking the trail in the Southville State Forest and were making our way back from the St. Regis River (see Part 1, posted yesterday):


I was stopped in my tracks by a large patch of tiny pink flowers. It was Pipsissewa, a member of the Wintergreen family:

They are odd and fascinating flowers, so I tried to get a closeup. Alas, they were shiny and aimed downward, making it difficult. This was the best I could do:

The dogs were not impressed with wildflowers, and were impatient to get moving again. So that's what we did:

We walked right over some tiny Dwarf Cinquefoil, which are much like their more common relative except for size. Notice how this little plant fits in with the grass:

We took a few side trips to explore the forest, and this emerald carpet of moss was one of the rewards. Notice how Jack is enjoying rubbing in its softness:

We left the area of hardwoods and passed back into the stand of Red Pines:

We were getting close to our car:

But I saw a mossy lane and we detoured onto it for a short while:

Common St. Johnswort was in bloom. This plant is rich in legend and history. It was believed that evil spirits would flee from it. Because of its red sap, it was associated with the blood of St. John the Baptist. St. Johnswort leaves, believed to bring good luck, were used as bookmarks in bibles. It also had medicinal uses, and even today is sometimes used to counteract depression:

And a Common Mullein, standing tall against the trunk of a Red Pine. Mullein is believed by some to fight infection and inflammation. I have also heard that it was sacred to many Native Americans, which is easy to believe if you've ever come across one at night, in the glow of a full moon:

But our parked car was just up ahead and our short hike was over. We don't come often to this state forest, but it is a beauty:

County Multi-Use Trail at Hopkinton - Part 2

I'd mistaken a trail sign and headed off into the woods, thinking I was following the trail (see yesterday's post), but quickly figured out that I should have stayed on the edge of the field. The dogs, however, were delighted by a big, old, hollow maple. We rejoined the real trail at the deer stand I'd previously photographed and which you can just up ahead:

Clover bounced through the trees, climbing up onto a boulder before she joined us on the real trail:

But I could see the ATV tracks continuing on for a very long distance, staying at the edge of the field. We'd already come quite a way and the frozen tracks were difficult walking, so we turned back toward where we'd parked. The dogs were as overjoyed to be going that direction as they were at the beginning. They're so easy to please:

They ran ahead, then came back, never going too far. Well, Jack went too far once, but he came back when I sounded sufficiently angry:

But mostly it was a pleasant walk in spring sunshine:

There was little green, of course, but the melting snow had exposed some green grass and Mullein leaves:

And mosses and lichens on rocks:

The dogs were so well behaved that I was able to relax and save my voice:

Although they did find some small patches of ice and venture out onto them:

Almost back to our car, we returned to the shelter of the trees:

The car was parked along a busy highway, so I called the dogs to heel. Jack, however, ran ahead (you can see him at the top of this photo) and when I got him back, snapped a leash on him. This was a short and pleasant excursion but not one I'll try again. Several State Forests are within a couple of miles, so I'll take the dogs there instead: