The Dandelion

To the Dandelion

Dear common flower, that grow'st beside the way,
Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold,
First pledge of blithesome May,
Which children pluck, and, full of pride, uphold,
High-hearted buccaneers, o'erjoyed that they
An Eldorado in the grass have found,
Which not the rich earth's ample round
May match in wealth, thou art more dear to me
Than all the prouder summer-blooms may be.

Gold such as thine ne'er drew the Spanish prow
Through the primeval hush of Indian seas,
Nor wrinkled the lean brow
Of age, to rob the lover's heart of ease;
'Tis the Spring's largess, which she scatters now
To rich and poor alike, with lavish hand,
Though most hearts never understand
To take it at God's value, but pass by
The offered wealth with unrewarded eye.

Thou art my tropics and mine Italy;
To look at thee unlocks a warmer clime;
The eyes thou givest me
Are in the heart, and heed not space or time:
Not in mid June the golden-cuirassed bee
Feels a more summer-like warm ravishment
In the white lily's breezy tent,
His fragrant Sybaris, than I, when first
From the dark green thy yellow circles burst.

Then think I of deep shadows on the grass,
Of meadows where in sun the cattle graze,
Where, as the breezes pass,
The gleaming rushes lean a thousand ways,
Of leaves that slumber in a cloudy mass,
Or whiten in the wind, of waters blue
That from the distance sparkle through
Some woodland gap, and of a sky above,
Where one white cloud like a stray lamb doth move.

My childhood's earliest thoughts are linked with thee;
The sight of thee calls back the robin's song,
Who, from the dark old tree
Beside the door, sang clearly all day long,
And I, secure in childish piety,
Listened as if I heard an angel sing
With news from heaven, which he could bring
Fresh every day to my untainted ears
When birds and flowers and I were happy peers.

How like a prodigal doth nature seem,
When thou, for all thy gold, so common art!
Thou teachest me to deem
More sacredly of every human heart,
Since each reflects in joy its scanty gleam
Of heaven, and could some wondrous secret show,
Did we but pay the love we owe,
And with a child's undoubting wisdom look
On all these living pages of God's book.

James Russell Lowell [1819-1891]

Flowers and Frogs

Pretty tulip all red and white

Little did you know what would turn up inside

A little tree frog, hopped into sight.

Unexpected surprise, on the wind he did ride.

Tulip in the wind shaking to and fro..

Still the little tree frog held on tight....

The wind battered tulip held this little beau

Keeping his perch til night.

Suddenly to the right, a sound,

A tiny cousin, a Boreal Chorus Frog sang out loud.

Small it's true, with eyes bright and round,

He sings with feeling, his notes abound.

 

Night has risen, day is done

Frogs everywhere, gray and green

With songs all joined, the chorus is begun

I sit and I listen, as is my routine.

Spring and Summer oh what a joy.

But alas the season must end.

Winters wind does summers heat destroy.

Now I must sit and wait for the return of my friends.

Beauty Berry

Beauty Berry in the family Lamiaceae contains up to 150 species. Most species are tropical, but many survive well in Temperate zones like Missouri. Those that grow in temperate zones will be deciduous, meaning they will lose their leaves in the winter. In tropical zones they are evergreen. They are native to Asia, Southeast North America, Australia, and Central America.

In the spring these bushes will develop pretty pink or white blooms. They grow to about 6 feet tall, and about 5 to 6 feet in diameter. After blooming the leaves appear....later in the season gorgeous metallic looking purplish berries make an appearance. These berries grow in small clusters all along the bare branches. These berries will last well into the cold winter months and are an important food source for hungry birds and other animals when all other food sources have been exhausted.

Many species of these plants are used as hosts to certain moths like Swift Moths and Ghost Moths of Asia.

Wine and jellies can be made from the berries. I personally have not tried them, but would curious what it would taste like. My bush is loaded with berries, perhaps I need to try it. One species of beauty berry called American Beauty Berry is a natural repellent against Mosquitoes and ticks. I say we need to plant these things everywhere around our farm, no mosquitoes or ticks? How grand would that be? These bushes are attractive and make wonderful additions to any landscape.

Miss Fluffy

Oh it's a Cats life.....

eat, sleep, and yawn,

   eat, sleep and yawn......

Catch a mouse,

catch a bird....."Did I say that? Don't tell my humans!"

"Ohhhh, all this hard work makes me tired."

Boreal Chorus Frog

I've previously posted about these little cutie-pies Boreal Chorus Frog . This photograph depicts an adult. To see the babies, click the link. I think they are so sweet, I just couldn't resist sharing another image.

More Shelf Mushrooms

Publish Post

These crazy-looking bracket or shelf mushrooms showed up on an old Maple tree in our front yard. I have never seen anything like them before. They are a pumpkin orange, and kind of velvety feeling. I haven't been able to find them in any of my field guides. If anyone knows what they are I would sure like to know. Probably 1/4 of the tree is covered in these growths.

Happy Holler Conservation Area

Happy Holler is located about 8 miles North of where I live. It encompasses 2207 acres. The 102 River borders portions of the area and offers great fishing. We make many visits out there to fish for catfish.

Pictured here is my daughter Shaylyn and her boyfriend Jake, while they ended up not getting a single bite on this trip to the river, they did have fun trying. The area also offers a large lake for bass fishing, and bird watching. I captured these images of a tree swallow, white heron and Prothonotary warbler while Kayaking this spring.

 

Deer are plentiful in the area as well as turkey and you're almost guaranteed to see one or the other long about evening time. 

 

I love to drive the country roads that wind all through the area, I always see a lot of wildlife, beautiful wildflowers and tons of birds. If you like hunting, it is permitted within the boundaries of the conservation owned property. Horseback riding, hiking, and picnics are all activities that are easily enjoyed here. 

One of my favorite passtimes is to hunt for insects. I spend a large amount of time out at Happy Holler poking around in the wildflowers searching for whatever insects I can find. I am rarely disappointed, like pictured here is a stilt bug on a guara plant.

Here is Missouri Primrose which is plentiful all around the area, and certainly pretty to look at.

 

If you get the chance to visit this Conservation Area, do so. You won't be disappointed.