Nature and Relaxation Therapy

These Evening Primrose were growing right out of the sand on the beach! The flowers open after sunset, how cool is that!? Oenothera biennis

According to a Scottish legend, if you want to see a fairy, you must eat a primrose!

(Photos supported by the Lo-fi filter 🤗)

Skunk Cabbage. Lysichiton aericanum. Swamp Lantern, “Indian Wax Paper”

What on Earth is happening here? A decaying trunk of a Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata. This tree could have been alive for over 1,000 years! Being a host to many many species over that time period, this image makes me think of spirits having council in the safety and abundance of her roots. How many spirits do you see?

Think about how much one giant tree can produce, for wildlife, air quality, housing, products for people, etc. Wow! more trees conservation preservation

The species that are associated with her are: "Western redcedar foliage, especially that of saplings, is an important food source year-round for browsing ungulates such as Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer, especially during the winter months when little else is available.[31] The seeds are eaten by birds and rodents.

Western redcedar provides cover for bears, raccoons, skunks, and other animals which nest inside trunk cavities. It is used as a nest tree by cavity-nesting bird species such as yellow-bellied sapsuckers, hairy woodpeckers, tree swallows, chestnut-backed chickadees, and Vaux's swifts.[31]

Thuja plicata is a host to several destructive insect species such as the western cedar borer, cedar bark beetle, gall midge, and conifer seedling weevils." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_plicata

This tree caught my eye so majestic. When I looked closer this beautiful heart pattern stood out right on its chest. Life is always talking to us if we are open to listen. This was such a blessing in my day! I hope you take time to talk to your tree friends too and get some free love!

The deer as a spirit animal represents the ability to be graceful and gentle in all areas of life. This is true even when faced with difficulties. The qualities of the deer inspire you and allow you to achieve challenging goals and deal with tricky situations with grace, using a gentle touch.

Is that a Virgo thing or is yellow the best season? 😍💛

In a world of fast food, fast pace, and next day shipping, some things are worth waiting for!

Happy Harvest Season!!!! 🐿💕🎃🍂🌻

These photographs were taken on 4/25/21. I had too much fun with the Virginia Bluebells -Mertensia virginica - I had to share. They were very ephemeral, came early, and went fast. Kicked off the beginning of the wildflower season with a bang! 🎉

Wild Lupine - Lupinus perennis, and one Indian Paintbrush- Castilleja septentrionalis. First time I saw them in the wild in bloom after reading about them for years! Love it when that happens! Feel like all my photos this year the flowers look like they are dancing! 😂

I wish you could see the full photo and don't know how to not get Instagram to crop?

Carya ovata- Shagbark Hickory bloom 😍 - this took my breath away! Looks like a dancing lady!

Shagbark hickories grow in the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States. Shagbark hickories can tolerate a range of temperatures, but they grow best on moist soils in humid climates. They are not found in pure stands, but instead are usually scattered throughout a forest of oaks, pines, and maples.

Hickories are members of the walnut family, and the fruit of the shagbark hickory is highly prized by both humans and wildlife. The fruit is a nut with a hard outer husk that splits open when ripe. Blacke bears, foxes, mice, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and a number of birds enjoy the nuts every fall. Shagbark hickories reach maturity and start producing seeds at around 40 years old. The average lifespan is 200 years, but some longer-lived shagbarks can continue to produce seeds until age 300! https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Shagbark-Hickory