July 20, 2010

Through the Woods

On a hot day, there's nothing better than a hike through the forest on a mountain trail:
We saw lots of wildflowers:
(penstemon, lupine, and scarlet gilia)
I love columbines: 
This pretty golden beetle seems to like them, too:
This is a monument plant, also known as deer's ears, for the shape of the leaves.  It's in the gentian family:
The plants I saw were 2-3 feet tall. Deer like to browse on this forest dweller. The individual blossoms are unique and lovely:
A blue grouse attracted our attention:
Fortunately, Daisy didn't notice.  She was too busy hunting up some mud to enjoy:
Later she found a nice pond,
decorated with yellow pond lilies:
 

23 comments:

  1. Oh, Janie, the columbine is gorgeous!
    Mother got me started on columbine when I was a young girl & I have tons of it here ... so delicate, so sweet.
    My friend, you share the most awesome pics ever ... these are wonderful! Love the pooch ...

    Have a lovely summer's eve ~
    TTFN ~ Marydon

    ReplyDelete
  2. Janie, I enjoyed your woodland hike - and I'm glad Daisy found a pond to wash off the mud! That was such an other-worldly beetle! Great wildflowers, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great photos! Thanks for sharing.
    -Leigh

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great photos! Thanks for sharing.
    -Leigh

    ReplyDelete
  5. looks like Daisy had fun...love the wild flower...love the lily pads...

    ReplyDelete
  6. What lovely photos Janie!!!!
    I love the shot with the colorful beetle...great job!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Janie, What a neat hike you all had.... What I loved the most besides seeing Daisy in the mud --was the Columbine.... GORGEOUS!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those yellow flowered lillies are so pretty. I think columbines are my favorite wild flower, they're so dramatic and perfect. Looks like a great hike.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for taking us on your hike.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Daisy definitely knows how to cool off on a hot day. Thanks for taking us along on your hike.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You are really lucky living in this beautiful environment. Gorgeous pictures Janie.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh that Daisy. ;)

    I too saw Columbines this weekend, plus I didn't know what the deer's ears where when I saw them. Thanks. Hope you had as cool a time as we did at 10,000 feet.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Those blue Rocky Mountain Penstemon are my favorites! I have some in my yard. True blue flowers are rare.

    And of course Daisy found a mud puddle. Silly puppy!

    ReplyDelete
  14. The two of you (and Daisy...and the horses) get out and enjoy nature more than anyone I have ever met in my life. What enjoyment you must get out of it all.

    ReplyDelete
  15. A beautiful journey through the wildflowers and woods, Janie. I see Daisy enjoyed her mud bath. Good thing she found the stream before heading back home.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Another wfabulous hike, Janie :-)
    I love the golden beetle and the columbine is delightful. I really like them but have only the common ones - I shall have to look out for this! The monument plant is so pretty - the flowers are wonderfully designed.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, I'm enjoying this hike. That path through the woods even looks cooler. The columbines are beautiful with the sunshine on them. Love your previous post..marmot on the rocks...great capture of that little guy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The trails are so beautiful! And Daisy is smart: mud first, then take your own bath/shower! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Janie,

    I hope you all are doing good!

    I'm happy to see this mountain trail post; yes, on a hot summer day, there's nothing better than tree shades :)

    And I love those flowers!

    ReplyDelete
  20. The nature there is really impressive

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'd say Daisy did get a little muddy! Great photos!

    ReplyDelete
  22. A gorgeous hike and a mud spa treatment, too. No wonder Daisy looks so gorgeous - she knows how to take care of herself! =)

    The flowers are beautiful and the closeups with the insects are amazing! I really like the photo with the pond lilies, especially when clicked on to enlarge. I can see a Monet here in my mind's eye.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin