Tag: Rabbitbrush

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Goldenrod Afternoon-Or Not-Learned Something New

Rabbitbrush collage
All of the photos above were taken last week on our quest for goldenrod. Turns out after reading up and doing some investigation and actually helping another OH Challenge family to identify a mystery flower, I learned that this is not goldenrod but rather rabbitbrush.

We spent quite a bit of time looking at and comparing photos with our field guide and on Calflora.org. Turns out to be something new to us….Rabbitbrush.

We had a sample of the flower and that really helped us when it got right down to making a firm identification.

We decided to turn to the chrysanthemum for our formal nature study this week and we talked about composite flowers and made a journal entry.

I think we were still successful and learned so much about our local wildflowers. We spent a glorious afternoon on a perfect autumn day together outdoors as a family.

 

Hat Tip to Alex for the new Flickr tool to make the mosaic with photos. Thanks!

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Early Autumn: First of Many Walks

We took a long walk today to enjoy the last of the hot afternoons…we know they will be coming to an end soon. Here are a few things I want to share from our day.

This is a sure sign that autumn is coming quickly. The aspens are beginning to change color and the wind makes them shimmer and shake.


The Kokanee salmon are spawning and their green and red color is brilliant in the clear creek water.


The creek is very shallow and the salmon come here to lay their eggs and die. This becomes a habitat for eagles and bears and ducks this time of year. Can you guess why?

Bear at Taylor Creek
If you click this photo it will enlarge and you will see the outline of a bear at the bottom of the photo among the trees. She was on the other side of the creek sharing a salmon with her baby. We gave her a lot of space and the few of us that were there snapped a few photos and left her in peace.


The whole afternoon was picture postcard perfect.


The Pussy Paws are golden and the Rabbitbrush is golden and the pines are green and the sky is blue……where are my paints?

This was a great afternoon and I feel so refreshed.