Wednesday, September 19, 2012

A Berry Good Time of Year

Another section complete on "A Rabbit Alphabet".  I'm almost half-way through the alphabet now.  I've stitched enough to decide that my floss color change is working out.  I'm still having problems with a good photo - the linen is not as dark/dirty as it appears.

It's Wednesday and the natives are restless.  Let's take a walk!

We have lots of 'interesting' trees on the property.  This one is my favorite.  It is contorted every-which-way in an effort to seek daylight.  It stretches out over our small pedestrian bridge spanning the big creek.  I figure some winter a load of heavy, wet snow is going to bring down the tree...and the bridge too. 

Some of the wild honeysuckle vines have set berries.  Unlike the blackberries, I've never seen anyone eating these.

This truss of blackberries reminds me of something you'd see in "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady" - a lovely book by the way!

The Vine Maples are providing us with some of the earliest fall color...

and seeds too.  I've heard Evening Grosbeaks in the forest.  A few may have returned to eat the maple seeds. 

The seedpods of the Columbia Lily are dry and brittle.  They've begun to split open releasing the seeds inside.

This was a pleasant surprise!  A small wild Aster of some sort.

I don't remember ever seeing it before, but once I began looking I found nice groups of plants in several different areas.

If I were a farmer and my crop was Oak Galls - I'd be having a land office year!

While the galls out number the acorns, there is a decent crop this year.

The chalk-white color of Baneberries are hard to beat. 

On the other had, the berries of False Solomon's Seal have a wonderful luster!

Snowberries are everywhere too - though once again no one eats them.

We've had several hot days of late, with "bad air" - smoke from a forest fire in Central Oregon.   The winds have now shifted, the air is clean again, the temperatures are cooler, and I am happy!   I hope you enjoyed today's walk.
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13 comments:

cucki said...

Lovely stitching and I enjoyed my walk with you so much
Love xxx

stitchinrose said...

I enjoyed the walk, almost could smell the fresh crisp air. But what is that blue thing in the picture with the cats, it almost looks like it is in its mouth.

Love the bunny sampler. Where did you get it?

Mary said...

Love the walks.... I am a great berry fan but yes what is the blue thing.....

Tracey said...

Your sampler is so pretty- I love the color of thread you chose! Thank you for sharing your beautiful nature with us!

Nicola said...

The blackberries in the UK are just about ready to pick. I am planning to make bramble jelly with ours.

Vickie said...

Well Beth, I too am wondering about the blue with the cats.

Nancy said...

Beautiful stitching! The walk was enjoyable too!

Carol said...

Love the blue in this one, Beth. And The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady remains one of my favorite books. Do you have the cross stitch booklet based on it? It was one of the first that I bought, but I've only stitched one project from it (for my mom)...

Thanks for the pretty walk--sure is beginning to look like fall outside!

blue star stitcher said...

We picked and ate wild blackberries last fall here. They were so much more tart than the store bought kind I am used to.
Did I see one of your cats having to wear a collar in the top photo? Poor kitty!

Athena at Minervas Garden said...

What a fun walk through the woods. I see a kitty in a collar--did someone just have a procedure at the vet's? All the berries are so pretty. I think I remember reading that hummingbirds like the flowers of the snowberris, but I can't verify that from personal experience. It's been a strange blackberry year here. The weather got so hot that several of the ripening berries, kind of dried out and turned into berry-raisins! The raspberries are still going strong, however.

Melanie said...

Looks great!! The linen doesn't look 'dirty' on my monitor.

Are you finding the acorns are super big out there this year? Man, my trees are raining down some humdingers right now. Big as walnuts and then some.

Anonymous said...

I hope your baby heals soon. And as always, lovely strolling along with you on your walks. I giggled at the squirrel's tail sticking out the wood stack.

Barb said...

I do love the blue in that sampler! thanks for the lovely walk!