White

My first priority is being out in the wild, like always no problems there. To get it onto this blog is still an interesting adventure. Today might proof to be a day full of learning and catching up.
It is bitterly cold. Early this morning wasn't so bad yet. Tara Sheridan and I went on our Sunday morning walk, she who had listened to the weather rapport, knew about possible precipitation. And indeed something came falling out of the sky it wasn't much but it was WHITE! She was right! Later sitting on the outhouse it suddenly went rick-a-dee-tick on the tin roof .It is hail. and now it is raining. Rain is good , it's very dry in the woods. People from outside the Yukon often ask; "when's the first snow?". Well maybe this year it is; June 8,2008. Because we did had summer. But hopefully it is the last of last winter. A little Bonus so to speak.

June 7.
I think, butterflies love this dry sunny weather. For a few days I have seen a Swallowtail flying around. What a fast flyer it is, I couldn't tell you which one it is. Yesterdays walk took me to Moose skull lake. The trail that takes me up there, first follows the 'Fire smart" . Which is a strip of land that is partly cleared, to halt a possible forest fire from getting into our neighborhood. The Fire smart is a purple sea , with all the lupines blooming. And the butterflies I find there are blues. Possible Northern Blue or Silvery blue.

What did I say; rain? Just to let you know,it's snow!

Back to heralds of summer, I see my first dragonfly for this year. And later by the lake I see a beautiful brown and orange Fritallaries (butterfly).Arriving by the lake, I am happy to see 16 Greater Scaups on the water, and the 2 gulls obviously have taken residence up here. To me it seems our lake attracts different kind of birds every year. I decide to walk around the lake, to see if there are any little shorebirds that I have noticed other years.
What did I say a month ago, swamps are great in early spring, what did I know. They are great now. They're more then great. I know not all of you are interested in all those names of things. But here too, I follow my own heart. I take great joy in meeting an old friend or getting to know a new one. I feel it's only respectful to call them by their name.
About 'real' friends. It was Margriet a month ago, who noticed little greens on the path, one hardly notices them now but they are blooming(in places they don't get walked on) and they are tofieldia pusillas, the neatest tiniest member of the lily family. I walk along the lake through the spongy moss, this lake too has little dikes in places. And lo and behold on one of those elevations is a gorgeous showy Lapland Rose-bay. Its bush is two/three feet around! Which is so big here, to be full of flowers. I do all love them equally though, others that are blooming are; The little bells of Bog Rosemary and the Blueberry. I cross the creek on the incoming end (east) without getting wet, there are different channels, from flowing water to wet green moss.
As I am enjoying how easy the walking is (I'd expected more...obstacles in the way of impenetrable willows and waterholes) Suddenly my eye catches something and I drop to my knees(while looking what's under my legs, so I don't crush anything.) There is this beautiful purple spike. (see photo below.)

Thick snow is falling now.

And there's lots of them! I busily make notes and photos, not having a clue. Continuing I remember this is also the area where I have seen old spikes of the Arrow grass (see photo) I like to pick this one in the spring, because it is written that its white base taste like Cilantro (the rest is poisoness). And while picking and nibbling away.(It does taste like Cilantro.) I suddenly realize that I am picking the leaves of the same purple flower. Back home all the literature I have suggest that my purple flower stalk is an Arrow grass, Trilochin maritima, only nowhere does it mention; purple. It is supposed to be white/green. Maybe....? and I love to find out.

Here and now. Snow is staying on the ground.