Camas is such a treat to come upon as one is hiking or walking through the meadows with wet seepages, bogs and moist wetlands. The light blue of the flowers is so beautiful. I know that I look for the delicate flower spikes in midspring.
It just isn’t nice when people lose their temper and say such nasty things about the poor weather man when that harassed individual, I’m sure, does his honest utmost to furnish us with his best guesses concerning what may be in store for us weather-wise.
Not surprisingly we’re going to kick off this week’s Crawlies with, “Don’t panic!”
Yes, our featured critter is a varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci) generally considered a “pest” insect.
This week I find myself still birdbrained— I mean, I have birds on the brain.
This happens to me this time of year every year, because the Great Backyard Bird Count is this coming weekend Feb. 13 – 16.
Well, Da Beast and I have reached another milestone. Last week saw a brief glimpse of Springlike weather with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s. It was time to layer up and go for a ride. So off I went to ride the Bear Creek Greenway because I always enjoy an adventure, especially one outdoors.
With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, we’re going to paint this week’s All Things Oregon with a rosy glow.
We’ll talk briefly about why Portland is called the City of Roses and we’ll explore the Washington Park International Rose Test Garden.
Then we’ll dig into types of roses and show that things are very rosy here in our area as well as up north.
Anemonatrum deltoideum (syn. Anemone deltoidea) – Columbia Windflower; Anemone multifida – Cutleaf Anemone; Anemone st. It estlyallii – Western Wood Anemone; Anemone oregana – Oregon Anemone
If there’s anything worth comparing with a forest trail winding off into summer-drenched hills it would have to be the snow-covered forest roads of winter leading mysteriously away into those same mountains and canyons.
This week we’ll meet Oregon’s “other” lynx – the western lynx spider (Oxyopes scalaris).
At a teeny 5mm (under one-quarter of an inch) with excellent camouflage, it can be easy to walk right by a western lynx, or two, or three.