Continuing my neighborhood walks: After the cherry blossoms, the pink snow,
We go from pink trees
to pink sidewalks in a week’s time.
And find them all through the neighborhood.
Dogwood trees and other flowers bloom,
Dogwood
Interestingly cracked concrete catches my eye…
We went on two more hikes with amazing wildflowers:
Tom McCall Trail, OR, April 23
When we hiked here on March 11th, the slopes were covered with purple grass widows. Today, the balsamroot is the star!
Starting up the trail with friends.
Lower cliffs, balsamroot and lupine in full bloom!
Eastward view.
Every blade abloom under the oak trees.
Open slopes of balsamroot and Mt Adams.
Continuing up.
Paintbrush in bloom on the upper slopes.
Views from the top:
West to Mt Hood.
North to Mt Adams.
Northeast, to the Cherry Orchard.
More views on the hike down:
Rowena Plateau.
Paintbrush! and the Memaloose Hills, with their yellow backs.
Parsley Alley….
And a few more flowers, for the day.
Bitterroot Trail, Catherine Creek, WA April 26
Aptly lived up to its name – the earlier blooming flowers have faded, but the bitterroot is just getting started today!
We began near the fairy ponds – now filled with camas lilies; the adjacent rock outcrops hosting glorious bitterroot flowers.
Lewisia rediviva
Sprinkled across the basalt; bicolored cluster lilies speckle the meadow beyond.
We wind our way up the slope:
Eastward.
Camas lilies and shooting stars.
Death camas and purple camas lilies
Turn left at the balsamroot, while admiring the windswept views east,
and west…
We drop down the Rowland Wall trail,
One of the largest clusters of bitterroot buds I have seen…
buckwheat
A giant clump of cliff penstomen surprised us!
More bitterroot scattered across the rocky surface along our return trail.
This is their time to rise up!
Meanwhile…
We finally had a chance to see the heritage American Chestnut Tree in the Sellwood neighborhood. It dwarves the house, and there is an enormous stump of another chestnut tree behind it.
Rare American Chestnut, Sellwood, Oregon
Leaves just budding out.
Knitting
Quilting
I’m making progress on the baby quilt.
Repotted plant report from Washington DC:
Commentary on the verdict, and the path forward:
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Margaret Quilts 