On a Lifelong Journey to Learn my Place
Plants
Weather: When I got up this morning around 6:15 (more on that later) it appeared to be partly cloudy. The forecast had been for cloudy with rain, but the rain held off. Temperatures were in the low 30s this morning, with highs in the upper 50s. There was not much wind. Although it was overcast … Read more
Pixie Cup Lichen (Cladonia sp.) I find this a good time of year to go out and take a look at the little things. The light is coming back and the temperatures are warmer, but the larger vascular plants have yet to obscure the little things with their towering structures of stem and leaf. I … Read more
(Larger Version) Baranof Island is covered in temperate rainforest. What parts of Sitka that are not bounded by the sea are typically surrounded by forest slopes of the mountains of Baranof Island. The mature forest consists of Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Yellow Cedar, with Mountain Hemlock becoming dominant at higher elevations. The photo shows … Read more
Pollen was in the air today. I suspect it was from spruce trees, but it may have been from something else. I was talking with someone outside today and noticed a strange something in the air. I thought it might be mist particles or smoke, but it did not feel like mist, and I could … Read more
I went for a walk today with Connor and Rowan and we saw some blueberry bushes already in bloom. Hopefully there is not a frost in the coming weeks that kills them, or the berry crop may not be too good.
There were many flowers in bloom along Starrigavan Ridge and quite a few of them were ones that I had not previously noticed. The heathers were blooming profusely, especially the white mountain heather. Shooting stars were in abundance in the wetter areas. Butterworts were common, and I saw a few Alaska Violets. New to me … Read more