Wildflower Edition

         We stayed close to home this week and that doesn’t bode well for story-making. I did go out on a walkabout with my shadow, Raini, and took wildflower photos for you.

          Violets are blooming.

Historically, violets have been cherished since ancient times. The Greeks cultivated them around 500 BC, and they’ve been a symbol of love and fertility in Greek mythology.

Violets represent loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, modesty, and humility. The color of the violet also affects its meaning—blue violets symbolize love and faithfulness, white violets purity and chastity, and yellow violets high worth and goodness.

Some violets have a unique scent that can temporarily desensitize the receptors of the nose, making their fragrance elusive.

Violets are pollinated by insects, but some species are capable of self-pollination. Their seeds are catapulted away from the mother plant when the capsule containing them bursts open.

Both the leaves and flowers are edible, rich in vitamins, and can be used in salads or as garnishes.

Traditionally, violets have been used in herbal medicine to soothe coughs, reduce inflammation, relieve headaches, and they are believed to have diuretic properties and aid in digestion.

>>>*<<<

Mustard is blooming. If they have white flowers, it’s garlic mustard. If it has yellow flowers, like this one, it’s black mustard.

All parts of the black mustard plant are edible, from the spicy leaves to the seeds, which are used to make mustard sauce.

Black mustard can be invasive. All you have to do is look out across the landscape and see tons of it blooming.

In folk medicine, it’s been used for pain relief, congestion, and digestion. It’s a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal, which can help prevent infections. Poultices have been used to treat rheumatism and sciatica.

As with any plant you forage, the more you know, the better off you’ll be. You might think black mustard is pretty safe but it’s not. In large quantities it can cause throat damage, diarrhea, and breathing difficulties. Pregnant women should avoid using black mustard in medicinal amounts due to the risk of miscarriage.   

>>>*<<<

          These two tiny little flowers are different colors of Speedwell. There are 500 species and can range in color from white to purple, blue, and pink.

          In folk medicine, it was known as a cure-all herb. It was used to treat congestion, asthma, and other respiratory problems.

The leaves and flowers were often used to make teas with diuretic, expectorant, astringent, and diaphoretic properties. These teas were traditionally used to treat coughs, congestion, sore throats, swelling, edema, digestive issues, kidney problems, gout, ulcers, and high blood pressure.

As an astringent and bitter herb, an infusion of Speedwell was also used as a wash for troubled skin.

Gypsies took Speedwell tea as a blood purifier because it could induce sweating, “purify” blood and increase metabolism.

Speedwell has anti-inflammatory actions that can help reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract. 

Speedwell is also edible. The entire plant can be consumed, including flowers, young shoots, and leaves. It has a sharp, astringent flavor similar to watercress. You could add it to your salad or soup.

>>>*<<<

          Tent caterpillars are making their spring appearance.

          Driving down the road they’re easy to spot.

          These guys don’t normally kill the trees they’re in, but they could.

          They'll pupate in a month to six weeks, and three weeks later, they’ll be moths.

>>>*<<<

          I don’t know what kind of tree this is but I thought it was pretty.

>>>*<<<

          I had to get down real low to get this shot of dandelions for you and I don’t care what anyone says — I love dandelions! They’re often the first food source for bees in the spring.

Every part of the dandelion is edible. The leaves can be eaten in salads, the roots can be roasted to make a coffee-like beverage, and the flowers are used to make dandelion wine.

They’re a nutritional powerhouse as a cup of chopped raw dandelion greens provides 112 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin A at only 25 calories. They’re also rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron, and fiber.

Dandelions have been used medicinally for centuries, and they are known for their wide range of health benefits. Dandelion roots and leaves are believed to help detoxify the liver and promote liver health.

As a digestive aid, it’s used to stimulate appetite and help with digestion. It’s also considered a mild laxative and can help balance the natural and beneficial bacteria in the intestines.

Dandelion is a diuretic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory.

Some studies suggest that dandelions might help reduce blood sugar levels and help lower cholesterol.

Applied topically, dandelion can help heal minor skin injuries like cuts, scrapes, and minor burns.

>>>*<<<

          I was working on a project on my patio (which I may or may not tell you about right now) and watched a male and female cardinal land in a tree just outside the fence.

          The female flew in and landed on one of the branches I’ve put up near the feeders.

          I sat still as she checked me out.

          Feeling safe, she hopped to the sunflower feeder and ate a few seeds.

          Then she hopped to another nearby branch before flying back to the male.

          Cardinals are one of the most recognizable and loved birds in North America. They’re often the first birds to visit feeders in the morning and the last ones in the evening. They prefer feeding during twilight to avoid predators and competition.

Their name "cardinal" comes from the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church who wear distinctive red robes. The bird's vibrant red plumage is reminiscent of this attire.

A cardinal in the wild lives about 3 years but the oldest recorded cardinal lived for 15 years and 9 months.

Cardinals don’t migrate. They spend their entire lives within a few kilometers of where they were born. A kilometer is roughly three-fifths of a mile. So, if by “a few kilometers” they mean five, then he spends his entire life in a three-mile radius.

The Northern Cardinal is so popular that it's the state bird of seven U.S. states.

>>>*<<<

I’ve had lots of birds at my feeders, and so have the Kipps. Besides the ones we have all year, I’ve had a beautiful Baltimore Oriole at my feeder this week, but I wasn’t able to get his picture. I’ll keep trying though.

The Kipps saw a bluebird, but it was there and gone so fast that Rosie didn’t get his picture either.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak has been at both our feeders. These guys are members of the cardinal family.

My picture isn’t all that great so I’ll try for a better one.

>>>*<<<

Our apple trees are blooming.

Raini took advantage of my picture-making to chase frogs into the pond. 

          She came out with a weed in her mouth. I guess she feels like she caught something!

“Silly girl!” I told her. 

The last thing I wanted or needed was a dripping wet Heeler on my new carpet. I sat on the patio and she dried herself in the sun. 

I don’t take Bondi with us unless she’s on a leash because she has no compunction about running wherever she wants to go. In other words, she won’t stay with me and she won’t come when I call her back.

          She sat not far from me, sunning herself, too.

          Speaking of carpet, the carpet in the bedroom and closet was installed this week. After it was done, Mike put up enough baseboard that we could get the bed and the TV put back in. He was glad not to be sleeping on the floor anymore.

          Now we can get the bedroom and dining room put back in order. I know my handsome mountain man is anxious for it to be done and often pushes himself way beyond what most people could endure, but me? I don’t care if it takes a month of Sundays to get done. I haven’t any plans to entertain.

>>>*<<<

          “I have a bunch of little flowers coming up that look like little pansies,” I told my Miss Rosie on a morning love call.

          “I believe those are called Johnny Jump-Ups,” she told me.

          And I believe she’s right.

          I was pulling weeds from the flower beds when I came across a couple of these things.

At first, I thought it was a hard shell, like a chrysalis, but that belief was quickly dispelled when it started wiggling and moving in my hand. It’s the larva of a moth. I tried to find out what he would turn into but I got so many different answers during my search that I gave up. Short of keeping him until he changes, I won’t know.

          Something else that’s blooming this week is the beautiful Dogwood.

          Right under this Dogwood tree, blooming at the same time, is the Fringed Polygala, also called Gaywings. It’s an orchid-like plant and only about six inches tall.

          This plant has both showy insect-pollinated flowers and inconspicuous flowers that self-fertilize underground.

Historically, the Iroquois used the leaves externally as a wash or poultice to treat skin inflammations such as abscesses, boils, and sores.

Its name is derived from Greek, where "poly" means "many" and "gala" means "milk". It was once believed that cattle eating this plant would produce a lot of milk. 

>>>*<<<

On a trip to town, we were behind this motorcycle, following a truck, when the rider decided to pass in a no-passing zone. I took the picture just for kicks and grins.

They’re really working on this barn. “I’m wondering if they’re going to make it into an event venue,” I said to Mike.

Getting married in a barn or having a family reunion there has been all the rage the last few years.

We did the shopping, had lunch, and on the way home saw a motorcycle passing in a no-passing zone again. Looking at it on my ‘puter (it’s fuzzy when I zoom in), I can tell it’s a red motorcycle, like the other one, the driver is wearing a backpack, just like the other one, and has on a blue helmet, just like the other one. I think it’s the same guy.

He managed to get around this line of traffic just ahead of oncoming traffic. He keeps this up and he’s gonna get a ticket or worse yet, he’s gonna push his luck too far and get d-e-d dead! 

Boaters on the Susquehanna. I don’t know if they’re kayakers or canoers so I played it safe and called ‘em boaters.

Two wrecked cars with SADD (Students Against Drunk Drivers) banners draped over them. I’m guessing these cars were involved in drinking-related accidents and are meant to prove a point. 

A Great Blue Heron sitting in our pretty little creek. I snapped this picture as we crossed the bridge. 

>>>*<<<

I decided it was time to separate my Zebra Finches. I don’t want any more birds (I might’ve told you that before), and Meep and Meepette keep producing one clutch after another.

I took the baby cage, the cage with my three babies, into the small bathroom for the extraction procedure. If any escape the cage while I’m trying to catch one, it’ll be easier to catch in there instead of chasing him all over the house — a mistake I made once before.

I chased birds all around the cage and couldn’t catch a single one. After twenty minutes I finally thought to take everything out of the cage, all the toys, the house, and the perches. I caught the female in just a few minutes. I took her and put her in the cage with Meep and Meepette. Then I took Meep and Meepette’s cage into the bathroom and having learned from experience, took everything out. I was able to catch Meep in short order and moved him to the other cage.

Life is good, right?

Wrong!

One of my males was aggressively chasing the other. I’m going to guess it was Meep chasing Meep Junior. He didn’t bother the white one so I’m guessing she’s a girl.

I read up on it and it said to make sure the cage was big enough and you can remove the house to maybe help with territorial aggression.

I took the house out. It didn’t help.

There were even a couple of times I thought the girls were fighting, too.

So, I’m sitting at my desk and look up every time a squabble ensues. I can’t take Meep back out because I don’t know which one Meep is. I should’ve tagged him first, but I didn’t. But I could tag one now and see which one was doing the aggressing.

“But, Peg, if you put him back with Meepette, you’ll have eggs again!” you say.

I know, right! I guess I’m thinking I’d rather get rid of eggs than have all the fighting going on.

I found some easy snap-on leg bands and ordered them.

In the meantime, I’m thinking about it. If I don’t care about having eggs, why not put my cages together and let them go between them?

I would’ve liked to put the cages so the doors were facing each other, but that wouldn’t work. I wouldn’t be able to get to the food and water cups or the tray in the bottom to clean it. That left only one option. Mike helped me put them back-to-back, clip a few wires, and bend them up, creating an opening in both cages.

The birds couldn’t see there was an opening and never challenge the wires. If they find the opening, it would be accidental. After a few hours, I decided to put a stick through the opening and secure it on both ends. From there it didn’t take long for the girls to find their way into the boy cage.

Sometimes I end up with five in one cage and one in the other, but they move freely between the two cages now that they know about the doorway. The only one that I’ve never seen crossover is the white finch. She’s stayed in the same cage. It’s only been a couple of days so maybe that will change. 

Let’s call this one done!