The country roads are bordered by the hundreds in lilies—the day lily, the ordinary.
Bursting forth, spilling from every ditch, filling every wild, sunny space with orange.
I drive past them each morning, as they wake for the day.
And almost forget to see how truly lovely, the ordinary can be.
Back by the pond, the woods are dark and leafy.
In the narrowest beam of light, I see them glowing.
Four flowers, framed by the shaded bank.
And I am reminded.
Come along in Red Canoe as she explores the quiet backwater of Ohio's State Parks and the scenic streams and rivers of the Midwest. Discover the beauty hidden beyond the water's edge, quietly waiting, past access points, often only inches deep!
Come browse my photography site, Nature Remains: nothing but a photograph, for full-page slide shows of my favorite images and opportunities to purchase them.
In Spring of 2008, I began the study of 2 vernal pools on my property as part of the Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership monitoring program.
My 2008 journal includes the first photos and findings, as I studied this fascinating wetland area just a few steps beyond my backdoor...
2009 photos and findings,
2010,... again!
Now, 4 years later, another season is just days away!
Travel beyond the Midwest has taken me to some beautiful places. Usually off the beaten track, these places are WILD!
Acadia National Park
New River Nature Festival
Olympic National Park
Pictured Rocks and the UP
Voyageurs National Park
(click on the text above each photo for a quick get-away)
A regularly appearing feature, "Have you seen..." takes a closer, more patient look at things usually not seen in a flattering light.
Take a look!
Each spring, as winter lessens its grip and days warm with the first fragrant breezes of a new season, we collect sap from our Sugar Maples and produce just enough syrup for ourselves for the coming year.
The progress of this year's backyard endeavor is illustrated here.
Summer 2008, the tiny jewel of the avian world, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, nested just feet from my front door. Pictures of her nest and the changing lives within are collected in this journal.
From life the size of a pea....
Cats that come to stay
(click on the text above each photo for stories in these collections)
7 comments:
We call them ditch lilies and I love them too.
Day lilies are so wonderful! Each year I await them impatiently. I know just where they will be blooming along the roads. I found a few small ones volunteering in the grass a few years ago, and moved them into my garden. They are now in two gardens. The perfect compliment to my purple butterfly bush.
Oh yes! As we drove home from out Sat. evening outing (to our old dating haunt) my husband and I passed at least a solid mile of day lilies along the roadside. Just gorgeous. Except for the fact that I was driving, I would have taken a photo!
Ditch lilies are absolutely July to me...in the Lake Champlain valley where I grew up they are everywhere along the roadsides with Queen Anne's lace and chicory, emblem of high summer.
Reminds me of home seeing your pictures.
Caroline now in South Dakota
I love to see them along roadsides craning their necks toward the sun. I also like to see the spiderwort growing with them. The orange and purple combination is one of my favorites and I put them together in my garden.
Yes, in our quests for the unusual we often miss the wonders around us. Thanks for reminding us not to take our ordinary beauty for granted.
Great shots. We have these growing wild around Georgia too. I love the orange color.
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