Along with pretty much the rest of the east coast of the US, we're preparing for hurricane Irene today. The first bands of rain are already sweeping across my area; we had a glimpse of sun early this morning but soon huge ugly clouds rolled in, threatening everybody who was out running last-minute errands (like me).
We're expecting loss of power tonight and maybe for a few days, which means no internet connection either. So right now I'm cooking a big pot of stew to hold us over; tonight we'll have a fun board game night by candle or flashlight. I'm also not planning on heading outside much until about Monday, although at that point I hope to go check Lake Frank for possible hurricane birds-- seabirds blown in by the winds perhaps, or migrants forced to land for safety. Don't worry, I won't be heading out til it's safe.
But until then, I just wanted to post some of the brilliant colors I found at Lake Frank this week. Enjoy, and stay safe if you're in the hurricane's path!
Red
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| Partridge Berries. |
Orange (well, barely, but a pretty cool encounter anyway!)
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| Copperhead snake in the middle of the trail. I obliviously walked right over it, joggers behind me noticed it when it feinted at them and mock-rattled its tail. We nudged it gently off the trail after I got this photo. I'm so excited to have finally seen one! |
Yellow
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| Beetles and bees were loving this bright goldenrod. |
Green
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| Poison ivy berries-- they'll be white when ripe. A good food source for lots of animals (who aren't allergic like we are). Did you know poison ivy is in the same family as cashews? Hmm, tasty. |
Blue
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| Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris), introduced and probably invasive-- it's in the mint family. Cute little flowers though. |
Purple
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| Burdock, also introduced. Edible though-- I've actually eaten burdock at a local vegetarian restaurant. Pretty tasty. |
