Gee

I've never heard of this energy drink but it certainly did liven up one blue Cruiser.

(This is not a commercial, but I thought you might be interested in a review of the product. They seem to be good guys and their website is entertaining.)

Oh!

There are bears in my kitchen!!

Well....I don't mind. They seem friendly--Cheryl, I hope you can bear with me--and even if they aren't I can use the tenderizer on them, which BTW is a collectable--you can't get that stuff any more. See how long I keep things?

The tin came from a yardsale for a quarter about ten years ago.

Correction: You CAN get Adolph's still, but I'll bet mine has more dangerous chemicals in it since I've had it for about 25 years. Let's see...salt, sugar, tricalcium phosphate, papain and vegetable oil.

Seen on today's hike in Rocky Point

Had a lovely three hour hike today through the Rocky Point Natural Resources Management Area, a part of the Pine Barrens that is anything but barren. So many birdsongs, interesting plants and flowers including blueberries, fresh air, and evidence of old forest fires. We puzzled over these numerous little blue flowers along the path for a long while.

They looked like violets but the leaves were different. What were they? I looked them up when I got home. Birdfoot Violet (viola pedata)--of course! We saw only one or two of the regular blue violets (below).

Another puzzle...

Is this trailing arbutus (Mayflower)? Or wintergreen (partridge berry)? Or something else? What looked at first like orange flowers may be leftover bits of the part that held the flower (sepal).

Here is some bearberry in bloom.

Another plant with a leaf that looked like a bird's foot. Still unidentified (Birdsfoot Trefoil?)

Fellow hikers, Jane (Sierra Club leader) and Pat.

Pat and yours truly.

Four and a half miles was just about right on a cloudy day with temp around 70. Got my exercise today.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

Let us pity those poor creatures who live their lives unaware of the wonderful features of our friend the lowly (but magnificent) dandelion. Herbal remedy, diuretic, delight for the eye, child's toy, wine source, salad delicacy, example of nature's abundance, avid marker of dog territory.... what more could you want?

Oh, all right, if you crave dandelion jam we can tell you about that too.

What is it?

I can't figure out what this clump of blue bell-like flowers could be.
Anybody have any ideas? It's just one clump and I think it springs from bulbs. It was here when I moved in and dies down in the summer.

Towhee

This is not my photo but I wanted to post it because I saw a Towhee in my backyard yesterday and they are somewhat rare around here, at least I haven't seen one in many years.

Such a pretty bird, looks something like a robin only smaller and has a white breast.

Listen to its song, "Drink-your-teeeeee"

Way to go, Calvin!

Oh, it did my heart good to see that little brown horse at 50-1 win the Kentucky Derby this afternoon. Hooray for Mine That Bird! So inspiring to all of us underdogs (to mix a metaphor).

Here's the call of the race.