White Rabbit, Green Growth, Full Moon

Design - "Ribbony Rabbit"

Chart - "Letters Part 3"

Designer - The Cricket Collection

Fabric - 28 count R & R Old Mill Java

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 8 May 2014

Completed -  10 May 2014

Grrr - French knot eyes - not of equal size.  Must redo!

What a lovely day! I can't believe how much has changed in the week that I've been gone.  Mid-May is a thousand shades of green and lush with exuberant growth. Let's go take a look.

Case in point! The Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum)blossom appears to explode out of the stalk.

Sweet tiny wildflowers fight their way out of a tangle of green. These are called Western Spring Beauty (Claytonia lanceolata).

The Oaks have leafed out in the past week. 

I like the contrast of the red 'whirly-gig' seeds of the Vine Maple with the bright green of the leaves.

The sides of the Big Creek are full of Chockcherry (Prunus virginiana), not surprising as the plant prefers to grow along side streams. Here's a list of critters that eat the fruit: Robins, thrushes, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, jays, bluebirds, catbirds, kingbirds, and grouse eat chokecherries, and so do mice, voles, chipmunks, squirrels, skunks, foxes, deer, bear, and moose. I'll have to keep an eye out in the fall when the berries are ripe and see who is partaking of the feast.

This is our native Red Columbine (Aquilegia formosa). It pollinated by both bees and hummingbirds.

The bright green new growth glows on the Douglas Fir trees. 

Sky Blue and Ash Green - a great combination. 

Small fuchsia pink wild peas dot the green of the meadows. 

I can't get enough of Menzie's Larkspur (Delphinium menziesii). Periwinkle blue sings to my soul.

In the deep shade I found a couple of small patches of Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum).

Our young pine trees have enough handsome 'candles' to celebration most anyone's birthday!  

The Big Leaf Maples are all leafed out now and the seeds are a favorite of a number of different birds. 

This shrub continues to baffle me.  In past years I've said it is Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor), but now I've decided it is something else entirely.  Further research needed!

UPDATED:

This tree is called Buck Brush, Oregon Tea Tree or Redstem Ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus). It can be found in open woods and thickets. It often lives in well-drained, stony to gravelly soils which have been recently disturbed by fire. It grows in areas with Douglas maple, hazel, ocean spray, serviceberry and snowbrush - all of which I have!   

I've decided we have Tolmie's Mariposa Lily (Calochortus tolmiei) and Elegant Cat's Ears (Calochortus elegans) growing in the same areas. Above is a photo of the Mariposa Lily - three creamy colored petals.  

Here's one of my favorite wildflowers - the aptly named Elegant Cat's Ear (Calochortus elegans).  Again three petals - but a different shape and with purple spots. I am in awe of the complex textures of this wildflower. I'd not paid close enough attention in past years to notice the differences and thought them all Cat's Ears.

Slowly, slowly we are getting more and more of both kinds of plants in our grassy hillside meadows.

Wow!  That turned out to be a long walk.

The May full moon - The Full Flower Moon is slowly rising in the sky.

Time to head back inside.