Spring Blossoms

Posted on by
4

Yesterday was the first day of May and it screamed for me to go for a walk in the woods. The weather was perfect; not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was in the 60s. I went for a hike with a friend in one of our local state parks, where we saw signs of spring everywhere. So, I decided to take photos of all the wildflowers along the trail and share them. Perhaps it will help you identify them on your next spring walk.

Early Saxifrage

When we walked out of the woods we came across Early Saxifrage (Saxifraga virginiensis)  growing among the grass in a field. It was so abundant.

Kidneyleaf Buttercup

Then we came across Kidneyleaf Buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) growing inside a root ring. It looked like a fairy garden.

Round-lobed Hepatica 2 Round-lobed Hepatica

All of a  sudden we saw Round-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) everywhere. The flowers were white or white with a hint of purple. I tried to get a good photo of the leaves as they help for easy identification but the flowers emerge before the leaves and it was still a bit early.

white trillium

Then we had the honor of seeing White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) along the trail.

coltsfoot

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) screams spring. It looks similar to dandelion but unlike dandelions the coltsfoot flower blooms before the leaves come out.

Blue Violet

I was delighted to see some Common Blue Violets (Viola papilionaceae).  I love adding the tender young leaves and blossoms to our salads. They are tasty and  liven up an average salad.

As you can see, I’m not such a good photographer or the wind moved the flowers while I was taking their pictures so the pictures are not as good as I hoped.  I almost scrapped the idea of blogging this walk but I thought what the heck, it’s what happened and part of the blog is about what happens. I guess I could have gone out and to try and get better pictures but I am trying to be authentic here and some things work out well while others do not… that’s life. Regardless, I think you have gotten a good idea of what the blossoms look like.

I hope you have the opportunity to take some spring walks. Every day there are new things to see. Isn’t life glorious!

 

Wow, we have a lot of jars!

Posted on by
Reply
a small sample of our jars

a small sample of our jars

I am not a fan of plastic. I do appreciate the convenience that plastic containers provide but I do not want plastic near my food. So what do I do? Since I buy most of our food in bulk, store leftovers in the refrigerator, and drink lots of water, I need some sort of containers. How can I live in a world covered in plastic and yet avoid it? Simple, I use glass or metal containers. I’m sure your next thought is – “Well that’s rather expensive. Plastic is so convenient and cheap.” I rarely ever need to buy a container because I am a reuser by nature.  Many of the items we buy are packaged in glass jars. I rarely ever have to buy glass jars because I reuse them. It is so easy to amass a bounty of glass containers in no time. They come in all sizes to fit just about all our needs.

Yes, I have bought Anchor Hocking glass baking/storage containers and Klean Kanteen metal water bottles. In addition, whenever we decide to make and gift applesauce, I do buy brand new canning jars. However, for the most part our containers are from reused canning jars or jars from our groceries. We have accumulated so many jars that I actually need to be more selective in which ones we keep.

I am sure you are wondering about the danger of broken glass – most jars and glass containers are made from a very dense and durable glass, much more solid than drinking glasses. In fact, we often use jars as drinking glasses. As I am sure my family can attest, I am very clumsy and have been known to drop and break many drinking glasses. Glass jars hold up better in our home, but plastic containers over time start to breakdown and crack.

I also use jars and glass containers when packing Mathew’s lunch for school. At first, I was concerned about the weight of his canvas lunch bag. He assured me that it was not too heavy and again the jars and containers are very durable and stand-up to being knocked around. It feels better to put his food in glass where chemicals are not leaching into his food. Moreover, when he reheats something in school, I know it is not being reheated in plastic.

So the next time you plan on recycling a glass container, think about keeping it and storing some trail mix or leftovers in it. After a while, it will become second nature.