Bonus 9-28-12 Mushroom Follow Up 3

These have not been identified but I did receive a comment: "So this mushroom 

walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender takes one look at him and says,

"We don't serve your kind." The mushroom looks back with a grin and says,"Why

not. I'm a funghi."

Flower for the Day 9-28-12 Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon  This flowering tree thrived despite the 

drought. It is a third taller than last year. The flowers are 

messy pretty. I cut it back severely in late fall so we can 

see out the window in the winter.

Bonus 9-27-12 Mushroom Follow Up 2

These three have been identified as Suillus in the order Boletales. They are edible

and a local mushroomer cooks them with butter or olive oil and parsley. I do not eat mushrooms from the wild.

Flower for the Day 9-27-12 Zinnia

The zinnias are thriving this time of year.

Bonus 9-26-12 Mushroom Follow Up 1

This mushroom is a cepe (boletus edulis) and is described as the King of 

edible mushrooms.They can be fried, stuffed, or baked as well as eaten raw in 

a green salad.

Flower for the Day 9-26-12 Blackberry Lily

This is the seed pod of the blackberry lily which hangs around for months this time of year.

In 2005 after DNA sequencing, this flower was transferred to the iris family. Belamcanda

chinensis ceased to be and was replaced by Iris domestica, and your life was changed forever - not.

Flower for the Day 9-25-12 Dahlia

This yellow dahlia fills a Steuben bowl. It is named Seattle.

When I took the bowl outside for different lighting a curious guest came to visit. Can 

anyone name this insect?

Bonus 9-24-12 Mushrooms

This is the time of year for mushrooms.  Can anyone identify them?

2

3

4

 5

Flower for the Day 9-24-12 Verbena

Verbena  At the suggestion of Becky, my Master Gardener, I cut these back to the

nodes starting in June and they have been blooming crazy ever since.

Flower for the Day 9-21-12 Celosia

Celosia   As usual the celosia (Coxcomb) is brilliant this time of year. I collect the

flower heads and use them to get the seeds for next year.

Bonus 9-20-12 Hummingbird Moth

This image is from my son Chris who saw this moth.

The hummingbird moth (Family Sphingidae,Genus Hemaris)

hovers over flowers with an audible humming

noise coming from its wing movement. Chris said it was very

much like the sound and look of a humming bird.

Flower for the Day 9-20-12 Dahlias

Dahlia  I have placed dahlias at the head of the list of flowers. These dahlias have been blooming for over 2 months and new buds keep appearing. It is named Mystery Day. The blooms are quite largewith great depth of color. They are striking as cut flowers. 

Flower for the Day 9-19-12 Crepe Myrtle

This was a great year for crepe myrtle despite the drought. If these get through

the spring without being mauled by the deer they usually do well.

They did need some extra watering this summer.

This is raspberry crepe myrtle.

Bonus 9-18-12 Chapin Mountain and a surprise on Little Chapin

Early on a Wednesday morning Ken Oldham led Chris and me to Chapin Pass

and then up Mount Chapin. It was a beautiful day despite the ongoing haze from

distant forest fires. We spent most of the day above timberline on the tundra.

Whether it be mountain tundra or arctic tundra I am continually taken by the thoughtof being "home" - in a place place I am supposed to be.

Chapin Pass sits between Mount Chapin and Mount Chiquita which along with Mount Ypsilonmake up the southern part of the Mummy Range within the northern confines of RockyMountain National Park. That is my new ultra light daypack which worked very well.

Here is Chris at Chain Pass where stiff winds caused us to put on warmer jackets.

From Chapin Pass it is an exhilarating tundra walk to the summit of Mount Chapin,

12,415 feet in elevation, which we reached at 9:30 AM.

Despite the prevailing haze, the views from the summit are spectacular.

On the descent we hiked over to Little Chapin in the direction of Fall River Pass. It 

was only when we neared its top that we could identify a herd of Rocky Mountain

Bighorn Ewes enjoying the sun on the summit. They were unconcerned with us and 

we left them alone and as they say in the Great Book we decided to return home by 

a different route.

Chris and I were grateful to our leader Ken who has been a friend of mine since we 

were 14 years old. I had given up on mountain tundra hiking but this trip opened up

great possibilities for the future and the need for more serious training.

This is the last of my Colorado photo essays.

Flower for the Day 9-18-12 Fremont geranium

Fremont geranium  Geranium caespitosum  Also purple cluster geranium and pineywoods 

geranium. It is a perennial herb with pink/purple sepals and 5 stamens. Its fruit is a

schizocarp or a dry fruit which splits up when it matures. This was in a valley in Meeker Park.

Bonus 9-17-12 Humming Birds

No matter how many times we put the feeders out it is still a thrill 

when the hummers come to feed. They are attracted to my red hat.

 

It is a challenge to get an image of their little tongue.

 

Flower for the Day 9-17-12 Yellow Coneflowers

These yellow coneflowers are growing by the Middle St. Vrain Creek near Camp Dick.

 

 

Bonus 9-14-12 Lawn Lake Trail

One afternoon I took the Lawn Lake trail to the Ypsilon Lake cutoff.

 

It is a wonderful trail and somewhat level after its initial elevation.

 

 

I came upon a creek with a natural bench.

 

It was a hot day so soaked my feet in the numbing water. What a treat!

 

Flower for the Day 9-14-12 Brown eyed susans

It is hard to believe how large these brown eyed Susans are. There is something

amazing about Estes Park wildflowers.

 

Flower for the Day 9-13-12 False Soloman's seal

Near the Smooth Soloman's Seal was this False Soloman's Seal (Smilacena racemosa).

Also Soloman's plume and False spikenard. Also a member of the lily family, its terminal

flowers are replaced by brown berries.

 

Bonus 9-12-12 Big Elks at Performance Park

I was checking out Performance Park when I saw this elk in the back at stage left.

He and his partner decided to bypass the stage and get a drink of water. As you 

can see the Christmas Elk still has his lights on.

 

 

They are still in the velvet.

 

Flower for the Day 9-12-12 Solomans Seal

Solomans Seal  Polyogonatum commutatum. Also Smooth Solomans Seal  This native perennial member of the 

lily family shows off its  non-terminal berries. It was growing by a hiking trail near a stream.

 

Bonus 9-11-12 Surprise in a tree

We were driving along the Big Thompson River near downtown Estes Park when we came to a traffic jam. "Oh no," I said to myself, "not another big elk."  But no it was a large black bear way up in a tree. We stopped and had a time trying to take a good picture. The photo with the head shot  shows that this is a very large bear.

The bear did move around a lot but luckily for all of us  he stayed up in the tree.

The next image shows a different perspective.

The view from the bears.