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Pink Fog
Perhaps spring is here. Though the forecast for this coming Tuesday (the day this will be published) is for more snow. My Redbuds, Cercis canadensis, here in the mountains of central Virginia are just now showing the slightest signs, of thoughts of blooms. This picture, above, was taken 5 days ago, while our newest, 8 inches of…
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Poison Ivy Good?
I am highly allergic to Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). As a youngster, I never got a Poison Ivy rash, though I loved to romp in the unending woods directly behind my house. Vines to swing over the creek, forts my friends and I were out there constantly. In 1985 I had a wakeup call, with…
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Red Maple Common Beauty
Ubiquitous This fall, as I hike the steep and not so steep slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I see many, many Red Maples. Reading various websites and books to get information on the tree, I am not surprised to learn that this is the most common deciduous tree in eastern North America. Yes, it…
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More Beauty Ferns
A Huge Boulder I’ve gotten to know my mountain here where I live, quite well since I’ve been hiking everyday that weather allows. One of many favorite spots is up where wild columbine grows in profusion, in scarlet dress, and cinnabar chanterelles pop up like tiny gum drops, all over the hill side. Just past…