Turk Mountain.

[rootofnewt]

Today, nannar asked if I wanted to meet him up in Rockfish Gap to do some evening hiking. I realized it was a quarter of five, so I helped boy pack a dinner and off we went. We picked Turk Mountain, since it's a 1.1 mile trip from parking lot to summit, with a 300 foot gain in elevation. Never mind that the bulk of that climb is in the last quarter mile.

Bloodroot is blooming along the drive at lower elevations. Up where we were, I saw foliage for pippisewa, partridgeberry, rattlesnake weed, and rattlesnake plantain (a native orchid). I saw birdstooth violets and pussytoes blooming as we climbed higher.

The view was gorgeous. We set back for the car around seven in order to beat the sun down the mountain. I've uploaded some pictures to Flickr.

In other news, we saw some tiny Downy Violets at Wigwam Falls on sunday. They're small, bright yellow violets. Very nice. I didn't have my camera, so no pics of those.

My yard is full of Common Blue Violets. They range in color from light blue-purple to dark purple to white with lavender throats to pale pale purple. I love them.

We also have a mysterious spiky weed growing along the fence. I have *no* clue what it is, but it's viciously thorny. That's the first pic in the gallery, there are three more.

Comments

[98.livejournal.com]

The mystery plant looks a little like the lime tree we have in a planter. Doesn't seem likely, does it? Are the old leaves kind of glossy and stiff?

[krasota.livejournal.com]

They're bright and shiny, but not at all stiff. I don't think it's a tree. It doesn't grow like one.

There are no "old" leaves. It sprouted up five feet in the course of a month or two. These are the first leaves.

[krasota.livejournal.com]

I've got an ID. It *is* a tree, albeit a shrubby one that can sprout up like a mulberry.

Poncirus trifoliata. It's coming out. Or maybe I should freecycle it--let someone *else* dig it out. ;)

[xiane.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any expanses of violets this spring so far, thwarting my urge to go roll in some.

I miss going to the mountains to look at the flowers. There are a lot of pretty fields of wildflowers around here, though.

[absinthea.livejournal.com]

AJ would call that weed "The thorny invader". THat is his catchall for thorny things.

BTW, are you OK with acrylic yarns? Wool? I have found 2 things that I must make for you oh dearest cousin. *grin*

[krasota.livejournal.com]

Acrylic, yes; wool, no.

Should I be afraid?

[absinthea.livejournal.com]

No...but knowing you, you will probably get a good-natured cackle out of this ;)