Flora and Fauna and Such

Design - "Primitive Small 1"

Designer - Dames of the Needle

Fabric - 32 count Meadow Rue Lakeside linen

Fibers - GAST 1 strand over two threads

Started - 13 June 2011

Completed - 14 June 2011

Yet another peacock for my collection!

There's something about a small design - the almost instant gratification of completing the work.    

And now it's time for another walk! 

In June the changes in plant life come fast and furious.

I was so pleased to find a native Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa) on the property.  Usually the deer eat them as soon as they bloom.

With the cool mild weather the Cat's Ears are still in bloom.

I think this is our largest group yet.

It rained again Sunday afternoon/evening, so Dorothy's Creek is still burbling along.

Many folks consider Vine Maple a pest, but I enjoy its Spring color - and it is glorious in the Fall too. 

Score!  I've finally identified this small tree as a Western Chokecherry (P. virginiana var. demissa).  It likes part shade and semi-moist conditions.  In the fall it has edible fruit which Native Americans ate.  The fruit makes a good jam or jelly, but as the birds also love it - there would be a contest of wills to harvest enough to use. 

   

And this is Pale Flax (Linum bienne).  

It is native to western Europe, but has been introduced into North America, where it has naturalised on the Pacific coast from Oregon to the central coast of California.

Here's another "introduced" wildflower: Yellow Salsify (Tragopogon dubius).

And this fellow shared my walk.  This time of year the Garter Snakes like to absorb the heat of our gravel driveway. 

This guy is a Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophis ordinoides).

He eats mostly slugs and earthworms, occasionally snails and amphibians.  He is active from March to October.