The Upshot...

Thanks for all your very pawsome comments. If my peeps are so dumb as to leave out goodies for me to avail myself of, then they deserve the problems I develop - hehe. Luckily I am really okay, but it's taken 24 hours for my peeps and the V-E-T to understand what I did! Nobody could believe I might be able to consume a leather glove (dummies) but after a walk this afternoon (on leash again... how I hate leashes!), I got into the car and we had a wild ride home. Upchucky all over the back of the car, then more calls to the V-E-T, who prohibited me from having any FOOD tonight (imagine!). Then I asked to go out and ate more grass - Mom heeled me right back onto the sofa. A few minutes late, I upchuckied again. I think that was it.
Mom donned HER gloves and started sorting through (this is gross!) my various detritus. She found five leather fingers and an assortment of pieces that look like jerky. She says she's going to create a shadow box for the V-E-T with the "pieces" along with the intact Right glove (ha-rooooo!). And hopefully, that's the end of this installment regarding my latest attempt at directing tons of attention towards me, Sammie -- thanks -- for that is what I love more than anything. My mom and dad also thank you for your kind and funny comments. I'm so lucky to be okay.

Verbena Bonariensis

My blooming Verbena bonariensis.

Climbers Climbin'

So it seems like we are in the middle of an extraordinary stretch of good weather for late April in the PNW. Some motivated people have been making the best of it and getting out for some really fun looking climbs. Rangers have been mostly in pre-season training and prep work so thanks to those who sent in some conditions updates and photos, we will continue to live vicariously through your reports until we hit the mountain full time in a couple of weeks. Check out recent beta on the Ingraham Direct, Fuhrer Finger, and Muir Snowfield posted in our conditions page.

Climber on the Fuhrer Finger - Photo by the Next Adventure crew

If you are heading up for any overnight stays on the mountain make sure you register for a permit. Self registration is still available all hours at the Paradise Old Station but the Climbing Information Center will be open this coming weekend May 4th and 5th from 8:00am to 3:00pm. Stop by to say hello, talk to a ranger and get any last minute info you need for your trip. Also remember if you are parking overnight at Paradise the overnight parking is in the lower parking lot. Please follow the signs to keep your car and wallet out of trouble.

For those of you wanting to access other areas of the park, it looks like Cayuse Pass (SR 410/123) will be opening this Friday May 3. Chinook pass is still a few weeks out so don't try to go to Yakima this way yet. The road to WR campground is still closed to vehicles but should be mostly clear for those who want to bicycle in for an Emmons climb.

For those of you who want to know if its sunny at 10,000' the Muir webcam is back in operation!

Pine Canyon Poppies

Pine Canyon Poppies, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Back in March, I found this incredible field of California poppies. The field, located in Pine Canyon in Mt. Diablo State Park, was the most abundant display of poppies I've ever seen. Mt. Diablo is known for it's great wildflower displays - this is one of them.

This Old Rock

As more gardeners put the daily events into garden blogs, will anyone still make entries in paper journals? In the nineteen seventies & eighties I used the kitchen calendar to jot down frosts, rains, bloom dates and first tomatoes. By 1989 the garden had expanded too much for a small square, and I started filling the first of a series of blank books. The entries range from rapturous descriptions to weather complaints, to terse mentions of plant names and dates. Sometimes the subject has nothing to do with gardening, as family joys and tragedies, politics or world events take over the pages. Because I kept notes, even in my slapdash style, I can look at this photo and know that the holey rock with the sedum growing out of it was bought on July 7, 1993, in Cave City, Kentucky

Fire hydrant

We may have a colourful/romantic/bloody history. We may have whisky and a national dish made from a stuffed sheep's stomach. But we completely fail to have interesting fire hydrants. Greg at Liege Daily Photo has just posted a nice contrast in 'fire and ice', featuring a Belgian fire hydrant. Sue at A Corner Garden has posted about the changing colours of her very own fire hydrant, which occupies one of her flower beds. But this is the best we can do. A little yellow plate on a wall to locate the hydrant, which lies under the iron plate in the pavement. It says a lot about the Scottish climate: we don't expect to have snow for any length of time that would hide the yellow plate. We don't even expect our fire crews to have to do much digging or chipping away at ice to be able to attach the hoses to the hydrant itself.
Small wonder then that when we were in British Columbia a few summers ago we came back with holiday photos not just of soaring peaks and the mighty Columbia river and glacier-fed lakes, but fire hydrants. We have shots of hydrants from Miranda's territory at Here and There Slocan. We have some particularly fine shots of hydrants near Kelowna. You can perhaps understand why we got so excited.
Edited to post links to other fire hydrants around the world:
Here and There Slocan, British Columbia, Canada
Inukshuk Adventure, Toronto, Canada

Revisiting Gift From the Sea

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that one of my all-time favorite books is Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I just finished reading it for the ninth time. I write in the front of the book the date read and a remark or two.
First entry-Bought in August 1999 at Captiva Island, Florida by Deborah C. Bailey
Second/Third Entry-Read again in August .. and .. at Destin, FL
Fourth Entry-And yet again in September, .. at Destin, FL as before with Gayle and Darcie. This book means more to me every time I read it. The Oyster Bed, p. 78, is where we are now but at the end. We're halfway -no, more toward the Argonauta than Oyster Bed.
Fifth Entry-August 28, ..-It's our 31st wedding anniversary and we're here in Destin with Darcie. Each time I read this book I find something that speaks to me differently than the last time I read it. We're having some growing pains as we try to move into the Argonauta phase of our relationship. Psalm 30:10-12: Hear , O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.
Sixth Entry-May ..-Fripp Island, SC. A storm out at sea washed the beach full of shells and other things aquatic. I found all of the shells mentioned in this book. This reading found me identifying with p. 103. I'm learning to let go...
Seventh Entry-February ..-I usually read this book in the summer at the beach, but I felt in need of her wisdom, so I read it earlier this year. I'm still trying to shed off external things; internal too. Will the process ever end?
Eighth Entry-August ..-Started reading this book yet again in anticipation of finishing it at Destin. Darcie and I didn't get to go because Laurel's twin girls were born the day before we were to leave. I'm still in the Oyster Bed stage but very much looking forward to the Argonauta. Praise the Lord for a safe delivery!
Ninth Entry-July 4, ..-Ninth reading on Jekyll Island, GA. Gayle, Darcie, and I came down for a few days while Garrett joined us for two days and then rode home with us. I'm catching glimpses of the Argonauta stage and like what I see.
Note: Gayle is my husband, Laurel is my oldest child, Garrett is my second child.

Limestone glade

We discovered a small limestone glade. It's not near our place, but it's in the same county (Blount county).

Plants in these glades thrive in unusual conditions: very thin soil on dry rocky ground.

A rocky pocket. From above, these flowers bring starfish to mind.

Widowscross, Sedum pulchellum. A.k.a. Pink stonecrop.

Most of them were white rather than pink. Definitely, they fit the description of "locally abundant".

Drifts of sandwort surrounded the sedum. I believe this is Glade sandwort, Minuartia patula.

In the shadier areas, there was a little Miami mist (Phacelia purshii). (Sounds more like a soft drink than a plant to me.)

I love the fringed petals.

Day 3 - BHFTF

And now for something completely different...
I took my time getting to the festival yesterday morning. The trail runners were just leaving - no time to get there to take photos. But, the group was organizing for freeriding.
We carpooled to Storm Mountain. The group started with hike-a-bike up the mountain. About a quarter up the trail (from one of the riders) I decided that was high enough, There was a good, rock decent there and 2 jumps.
Spent nearly 2 hours there shooting riders at this spot. The light played havoc with the camera light meter. Hope I can touch up a couple more of the photos.
Since I was in the area, and it was that time, lunch as the Gas Light.
Stopped HQ to checking my receipts and claim tickets for Beer-Muda. i was sure the Gas light was one of the sponsors, but they are not this year. So I only had the receipt for Friday lunch at the Firehouse.
Napped and did some stuff in the room. Then off the watch the Strider demo race. The Tri-athalon was just about to start at so stopped to take some photos of the start.

The Strider race was probably the highlight of the races at the festival. Big boys racing downhill on little bikes. The only way to describe the was by a photo.
The day ended with the BBQ. Grilled burgers of beef, venison, buffalo, veggy burgers, and chicken with all the fixin's. There was music and beer, sopped off by raffles.
A couple of glitches there. In interest of time, they started drawing winning tickets before everyone got their tickets. I was finishing in the food line when the raffle started. (I was fortunate to win cycling shorts - and they even fit me!)
Once I had some time to get over to get my beer (2 tickets came with your dinner), the keg was dry. Luckily, the Festival purchased a second keg. When I went for my beer, I took BOTH of my cups, lest they run out again. (They did but the party was almost done). When one of the workers of the festival said he was pretty sure the one group of raffle prizes were all there was, I was disappointed. There seemed to be more swag for the racers than raffle prizes. Alas, we were wrong there were another general raffle, Finally Beer-Muda Triangle raffle.
By the time everything ended, I was tired, cold, and my brain was fried from the noise. Took me some time to settle down to sleep.

Tomatoes...Almost Ripe

This cluster of 'Oregon Spring' tomatoes is almost ripe.
In my garden, 'Oregon Spring' has not proven to be a vigorous variety. The plant seems to be slow-growing, and the fruits take forever to ripen.
Next year I will try something else.
Suggestions?

More Images from the Balcony

The cherry tree is in full leaf now; blossoms are gone. The Mermaid rose on the arbor is beginning to put on its thousands of yellow blooms. It's so heavy that the arbor is about four inches off the ground in the front. We tried straightening it up, but it was useless. I guess when the whole thing comes crashing to the ground, we'll pick up the pieces, cut the rose bush to the ground, and start over. I had no idea that it would get so big. It's even trailing into the cherry tree.
The little table was once painted all white, but rust and birds have done their work. Yes, birds. I kept hearing a strange pecking sound on the balcony. When I looked out, I saw a bluejay peeling off sections of paint! I don't know if he ate them or made his nest waterproof, but he took off almost the whole top. Craziness!
We've got the sweetest little bluebird couple nesting on the front porch, but I'll save that for another day.

Tiny treasures

Virginia pennywort, Obolaria virginica

A plant that's very easy to overlook in the leaf litter. It would be nice in rock gardens, I think. Some of them get a bit larger than this, but not by much.^*
Do you see any violets?

I took this picture with the camera pointed at my feet.^** There are almost a dozen clumps of Viola walteri in the frame. (A.k.a. Prostrate blue violet or Walter's violet.)
Here's a closer look, with my foot for scale:^***

They're very petite.
Most of them are purple, but there are a few white ones:

Every flower in a clump is the same color.

They have a medium-length hook or spur behind the flower. At our place they grow in dry limestone areas. (For the longest time, I just assumed they were regular violets that were stunted because of poor soil conditions!)
Common but still enchanting:

Bluets! This is one of the first wildflowers that I learned the name of. It's also how I learned that many birdwatchers are also very knowledgeable about plants: when the birds aren't showing themselves, you can always look around on the ground. ("Hey, what do you call this little purple flower, anyway?")
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^*My glove size is small, so this really is a tiny plant.
^**I'm 5'4", which is exactly average for American women by the way, not short, and I'm not standing on a rock or anything.
^***My feet are sort of small too, size 6.
(Yes, since I've gained weight I like pointing out the things about me that are still small!)
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In researching the Walter's violet I came across a nice Alabama wildflower web page, Alabamaplants.com. Here is a link to that site's excellent photos of Viola walteri.
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A sad update:
While preparing to email Dan Tenaglia about his excellent site mentioned above, I learned that he passed away in an accident just last month.