One springtime we wandered into the Warner Mountains of NE California. Looking for a campsite we parked the truck near a marshy pond just off the main road. We walked the dirt track that followed a small branch of East Creek. Beaver-chewed aspen marked the waterway; early wildflowers nodded; aspen whispered as we passed. […]
Cherish the Earth. Hurray for Green Plants!
Green growing plants keep us alive. They are our neighbors, our plant communities. Do you know them? The trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers, and ground dwellers that form the community of life around you? Can you call your plant neighbors by name? Years ago we camped at Great Basin N.P. The first morning went like this: […]
Out Sketching. On the Road to Eagleville. Part 1. Finding Balsamroot
Finding Balsamroot The pungent smell of sagebrush floods my senses as I climb down from the truck. I pause to breathe deeply, a heady mix of fresh mountain air and sage. The aroma is so characteristic of this high elevation basin dotted with sage and surrounded by forest, that for a brief moment it even […]