As of the taking of these pictures.
Tag: American West
Idaho Wildflowers: Aspen
It may seem strange to call the aspen tree a flower, but it does appear in my Falcon Guide Central Rocky Mountain Wildflowers.
“Aspen’s leaves (as distinct from birches’) are rounded or heart-shaped in outline, with vertically flattened pettioles (leaf stalks) that are responsible for their distinctive trembling, rotating action in the slightest breeze.
“Aspen is a colonial tree that spreads by shallow underground stems. Patches of aspen trees are often just vertical stems (clones) of a single genetic individual. The borders of the clone patches are often obvious in the spring and fall, when the genetic differences in leafing out and fall coloration are expressed between clone patches. The underground stems enable aspen to survive forest fires with ease. Aspen twigs are a favorite food for browsing deer, elk, and moose, especially in winter.” (page 246)
Here’s a path leading past Silver Sage into an aspen grove (clone patch? Or between clone patches? I’m sticking with grove – sounds less disturbing).
Old Faithful Inn
Still used as a hotel, it has four levels that soar over the lobby with its massive stone fireplace. Supports on the balconies are made of natural tree limbs.
It’s the kind of place that could be creepy, but on our midsummer visit there, I did not find it so. There is a lot of natural light, and the space was obviously designed for a lot of people and is still being used that way. I think that’s why.
The window with a walkway in front of it, visible at the top center of this picture, looks directly out at Old Faithful. This part of the catwalk is now off-limits to all but private tours.
And here’s why.
The Crow’s Nest is the birdhouse-like structure tucked in the darkness at the very top of this photo.
Some parts of the hotel are more modern, but here is one of the old parts.
Idaho Wildflowers: White Frasera
I think I may have managed to photograph a flower that is “endemic to this area and found nowhere else in the world.”
White Frasera, according to my Falcon Guide, is “found in the montane forests of central and west-central ID” (page 209). Citadel of Rocks, where I found this, doesn’t technically fit the bill, since it is in the southern part of the state. Other possible candidates are Black Elderberry and Edible Tobacco Root.
This is such a cute human thing
It’s an older Asian couple taking each other’s picture in front of a teepee, in Yellowstone.
I also saw a Pakistani family doing the same thing, which was also super cute.
I can’t remember who it was, but one commentator I listen to pointed out, in response to the move to take American Indians out of team names and products, that American Indians are famous all over the world.
Anyway, I’m here at Yellowstone with the fam and it’s very international here. Languages I heard in the space of a few hours:
- Hindi (? – pretty sure)
- German
- Mandarin
- Korean
- Spanish
- British English
They all came to see Old Faithful, the geyser. Even more faithful than old faithful were the people. We all came at the time it was predicted to blow. We all sat quietly, as if at church, except that occasionally someone would say, “It’s starting! It’s starting!” – and it would be a false alarm.
When Old Faithful did demonstrate its power once again, we all raised our phones in unison, and faithfully recorded it.
The human kindness continued the next day at this lookout point (veiwing Grand Teton peak), reachable by tram from Teton Village. 10,450 feet in the air, we faithfully offered to take each other’s family photos in front of the panorama, exchanging phones and then giving them back.
Human beings can be faithful, and kind, for a couple of days while on vacation.
The One who made the mountains is faithful forever.
Rocky Mountain Iris
Also known as Missouri Iris. Photographed at Citadel of Rocks.
“This is the Central Rocky Mountains’ only native iris … Iris, or fleur-de-lis, is the national flower and emblem of France and the state flower of Tennessee. Iris is both a dangerous poisonous plant and a valuable medicinal herb.” (Central Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Falcon Guide, p. 37)
Welcome to Tatooine
Wildfires in Oregon and at Red Fish Lake are giving us sunsets like this.
Idaho Wildflowers : Scarlet Globe Mallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea, Greek for “scarlet sphere mallow.”
Grows in the “dry prairies of the valleys and plains and foothills zones as far as the Bitterroot Valley, MT; Bannock County, ID; and parts of OR.”
“Scarlet globe mallow has slimy, viscous sap that can stick to skin or mucous membranes and thus provide a protective coating. The native Dakota people chewed the plant and applied it to inflamed sores and wounds as a salve. It was said to cool inflammation and promote healing.”
I can’t believe the first two wildflowers I chose to blog about this year both turned out to be medicinal. But there ya go, God puts ’em in the ground for us to find! Once again, the Falcon Guide Central Rocky Mountain Wildflowers has shown its usefulness. All in the information in this post, except the photographs, came from page 93. I took the photographs at Citadel of Rocks, where the sphaeralcea was obediently growing exactly where described.
Idaho Wildflowers Are Back!
I think this is White Geranium. According to the Central Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Falcon Guide, it is a medicinal herb that can be used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, ulcers, and hemorrhoids, and to stop bleeding (211). It’s found in shady woodlands, plains, valleys, montane, and lower subalpine zones. This is exactly where I found it! This, and the flowers that will follow, were photographed on a weekend trip to Citadel of Rocks, Idaho.
I’m at the Fantasy Fair
The Mystic Realms Fantasy Fair runs this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (June 28, 29, and 30) at the Bannock County Fairgrounds in Pocatello, Idaho. My son and I will be there, I selling books, he paintings. I will be dressed as my online avatar, Neanderthal Woman. Our booth is called the Cosmic Tree (his idea). And there are many other amazing vendors and entertainers as well.
I’ll try to upload pictures as the weekend progresses, so this post should get more and more colorful.
UPDATE: Well well well! Before this post goes live, we already have an update. We are known for strong winds here in Idaho. So strong, in fact, that the wind just BROKE OUR 10×10 TENT when my son and I set it up in the backyard for a dry run. It looks as if, tonight, we will be buying something sturdier.
Bought the new tent. Here’s our booth. The event is much bigger than last year’s.
a smith
The position of village idiot is open… think I should apply?
a viking
This man is working a lathe. The top end of that string attaches to the branch of a tree, so he doesn’t need another person on the other side to help him work it. Neanderthal woman is impressed at this technological leap.
Big Southern Butte in the background of the fairy bower.
Meeting Other Authors
C. David Belt, who is taking his costume in a Scottish direction and was rocking a Scottish accent, is an LDS (Mormon) horror writer. Last year, I bought and reviewed his book The Sweet Sister. This year, I bought his Lilith trilogy. Here he is signing them for me.
Here’s his booth. This man sat in front of his booth and sang ballads, off and on, for six hours.
J.M. Cullen is a new-to-me writer with a particularly photogenic costume. I bought his duology that involves time travel to the waning days of the Mayan empire. So far, I have bought far more books than I’ve sold. Hopefully, that will come back around to me. But even if it doesn’t, I now have a lot of great summer reading material.
Out of Babel Books 