Wildflower Walks

The nature centers that I volunteer for do an excellent job of training for their volunteers.  This month the volunteer coordinator offered to lead some field trips into the parks to learn some of the wildflowers.

First I have to tell you about this guy.  I was sitting at the front desk at Bear Creek with a saw a big ball of black fur coming off the nature trail.  My first thought was that a guest had taken their dog on an off limits trail.  It didn't take me long to realize that it was a bear!  I called the supervisor and she went out and followed to see where the bear was going while I stayed inside and kept the kids and senior citizens from running out after it.  It was a cool experience!

The next day Irv and I joined a group of volunteers for the wildflower walk at Bear Creek.  I don't know much about flowers so I was glad to have a learning opportunity.

I already can't remember the name of this one.  Maybe a Western Spiderwort?

Of course there's no mistaking poison ivy.  It's everywhere in the park.

There then was this plant with the hug leaves.  What can this be?

Hmmm?  I think it's a Narrow Leaf Puccoon.

When you take a bunch of old ladies (and Irv) hiking it goes really slow.

Some kind of thistle....my iPhone says it's an Italian Thistle.

Giant mushroom.

Can't remember this one either.  I think it's a Four Nerve Daisy.

Butter and Eggs or maybe a Yellow Columbine--I'm not sure.

Mountain Lupine perhaps?

Finally one I know...Fleabane.

Indian Paintbrush

Another easy one...Prickly Pear Cactus.

Stopping at the creek to observe living organisms on the rocks.  It's amazing what you learn when you hike with a naturalist.

Then I got distracted by a butterfly...I've identified it as a Sulphur Butterfly on Mountain Lupine.

End of the Bear Creek hike.

Willow came over for a sleepover before the next wildflower hike at Fox Run Regional Park.

Willow is high energy.  I can't say Aspen and Maisy are always glad to welcome her into the house.  There was a lot of rough housing when Willow first arrived.

Aspen 

By evening Aspen was exhausted.  Willow never sleeps at our house and I hate to admit it but before bed we gave her a couple calming hemp chews.  It worked for a couple hours and then we were up for the night.

Now it was time to leave the three dogs on their own while we ventured up to Fox Run.  This time another man joined the group which Irv appreciated.  

Above is a wild geranium.

I believe this is Yellow Toadflax.

This is Paisley.  She's a young guide dog for the blind in training. She gets to come to the nature centers and has to lay under the desk during her shift.  I'm glad she got to come on the hike even if she had to wear shoes and a diaper.  We weren't allowed to touch or engage her--very difficult for me.  I looked up why guide dogs have to wear diapers and learned it's to teach them when and where it's appropriate to pee and poop.

Another easy one...Yarrow.

St. John's Wort.

I'm thinking this is Hairy False Goldenaster.

My favorite...Harebells.

This beauty made an appearance.  Love how his antlers are in velvet.

These are pods growing on a wild rose.  We made the mistake of planting wild rose when we moved into our house 21 years ago.  Big mistake, it spread everywhere and is nearly impossible to get rid of.

Here's the group conferring about something else.

The county will be adding another nature center in the future and this is where it will be built.  Fundraising is still ongoing so it will probably be a couple years out.  I wish we had oil barons in our city which could provide big grants, but no, we raise each dollar by dollar.

Then something happened...I had to call Irv over and tell him we needed to leave.  For some reason I got extremely light headed, got very clammy, and actually started seeing stars.  I surely didn't want to pass out in front of my colleagues and didn't feel like I could continue.  Terrible, I know.  The only reason I can think this happened is because of lack of sleep.  Irv said he was feeling a little light headed too--maybe another joy of getting old.

I think I failed on wildflower training, but it was fun to hang out with my fellow volunteers and Irv!

We went and got some cold drinks and then went home only to discover that a giant shoe party had taken place.  Mary says this is what Willow does.  Nothing was destroyed, it was just funny.