A Jewel of a Weed

Jewelweed growing in the shade, delicate flowers hanging from delicate stems. This plant is said to be good as a salve for poison ivy and dermatitis.

Nature provides the cure right next to the plant that causes the ailment.

Sunset over Lake Michigan

Nothing is quite more spectacular than watching the sun slip into Lake Michigan. Except when the Indiana Dune State Park adds a bit of music to the scene like they did on Saturday night.  

Invaded!

All those pretty purple flowers are poisonous to the environment of this Indiana wetland.

Three or four years ago there wasn't many if any of this invasive flower called Purple Loosestrife in this wetland. But today the plant has taken over, erasing the diverse and delicately balanced ecosystem of this swamp near the Kankakee River. Plants where fish raise young and plants where waterfowl and other birds feed are systematically being pushed out by the hearty and extremely invasive purple plant.

Probably arriving on an infected boat, Purple Loosestrife, if left unchecked, will quickly take over the whole area until there is no water visible for fish, fishing, or wildlife . We will have our hands full trying to save this wetland in future years.      

Wild Sarsaparilla

One of my favorites, literally twinkling on the forest floor this July is Wild Sarsaparilla. This native wildflower is small, low to the ground, and loves the shade.

Susans Dripping Yellow in July...

Among the bumble-bees in red-top hay,

A freckled field of brown-eyed Susans dripping yellow leaves in July,

I read your heart in a book.

And your mouth of blue pansy

—I know somewhere I have seen it rain-shattered.

And I have seen a woman with her head flung between her naked knees,

and her head held there listening to the sea,

the great naked sea shouldering a load of salt. 

And the blue pansy mouth sang to the sea:

"Mother of God, I’m so little a thing,

Let me sing longer,

Only a little longer."

And the sea shouldered its salt in long gray combers hauling new shapes on the beach sand.

Adelaid Crapsey by Carl Sandburg

Morning Doe

I am fascinated by just how poor a deer's eyesight is. Observing a deer is quite easy once you understand that a deer sees mainly movement against the background. By standing still you can observe a deer until it just wanders off.

Seed Pots of White Campion

I love White Campions because of the seed pot. Looking like tiny Indian pottery, the tiny pots open showing the wondrous seeds inside.  Apparently birds find the seeds tasty---they don't last long.