Quietness & Solitude

Quiet beauty. Fragrance. Flutter.

The meadow is lush and green, thanks to the cool and rainy weather of June.

It was a cabin day. 

Sudo, the city dog, is taking it all in and seems to find that country life appeals to her too.

The view from our perch on the point. 

Yarrow fills the meadow.

We found a turkey feather near the fire pit. We didn't see any turkeys today, but they are around. We captured a flock of them on our cabin camera this week. The photos showed that they were quite content in the companionship of a beautiful deer. The cabin camera also revealed that a bobcat and coyote walked right on by at a leisurely pace during one night last week.

Sudo can run super fast! That's what greyhounds do! And since she is a sight-hound with inbred tendencies to run, we are extra careful to keep her near. Her leash is retractable, so she has good range. She's still a puppy and in training to return immediately when called. We are taking extra care not to lose her while she's in our care.

The wildflowers are beautiful and abundant right now. 

Sudo enjoyed exploring around the homestead cabin on the other side of the meadow. It needs a new coat of paint, but in the meantime, I am enjoying its chippy wear.

At dusk the woods can seem very dark!

Time for a bit of a rest before we return home.

Sudo was tired after her busy day. She was zonked out as soon as the truck was on the road. As we neared the base of the mountain we saw some deer right beside the road. We stopped to enjoy them. They were so contented eating from the pea field that they barely looked up! Sweet peas were all that they were concerned with. And sleep was all Sudo cared about. Quietness and solitude. Nature. Respite. 

Mountain Meadow

mead·ow

  [med-oh]

noun

1.

a tract of grassland used for pasture or serving as a hayfield.

2.

a tract of grassland in an upland area near the timberline.

The soft, golden light will make a meadow of wildflowers glow.

The road from gate to cabin leads through a mountain meadow. It's a short walk from the shelter of the cabin each morning to the meadow where we go to enjoy the view and appreciate the little treasures found there. May and June are the most beautiful months in our meadow.

The sky is always expressive. Clouds puff overhead and sometimes move swiftly across the sky. Other times we are in the clouds as they create a fog that wafts about us as we walk. The distant mountain ridge is blue with beauty, often showing patches of white snow on ridges and peaks.

Blue lupines dot the landscape as the meadow opens before our eyes. The seeds of this blossom can be soaked in running water to remove the bitter alkaloids and then cooked or toasted to make the seeds edible. While not a common food for most of us, it's fascinating to discover all the plants on the mountain that are good to eat if desired or required. 

The golden pea, rightly called Thermopsis montana adds color and cheer as it dots the meadow. A bumble bee ignores me and keeps feasting on the floral nectar. The flowers in the pea family of plants are known for five petals that form a distinctive "banner, wings, and keel". Can you see them? Although this plant is of the pea family, it is poisonous and should never be ingested.

The Prairie Star also dots the hillside meadow. Although tiny, their flowers are intricate and exhibit such fine perfection. This flower is sometimes called smallflower woodland star. If you look closely at the grasses behind this flower you'll see that something has "chomped" the blades of grass at some point in time. Rest assured that it was not a lawn mower, but more likely an elk or deer that bed down in the meadow. They keep the ground churned up with their hoof prints. It is amazing that anything can grow at all!

Altogether the flowers created a haze of color. Notice how the section of meadow in the back is mostly yellow, whereas the front area is blue. Nature creates the most amazing landscapes! Although there is some "mixing" of colors, each mostly stays with its own kind.

The animals that live here year around keep a trail "open" along the top ridge of the meadow. It's interesting how animals, like humans, prefer ease of passage through the forest. Have you taken time to notice animal trails on mountain hillsides? We appreciate their trails and use them too! 

Can you see what our trail cam saw on the trail last week? Look closely! It was 2:39 AM, so this is a night shot. Mr. Bobcat seems to enjoy the trail too! Click on the photo, if you'd like, to enlarge the view. We saw several tiger swallowtail butterflies on our walk through the meadow as well, but I was not quick enough with my camera to get a picture. They are flighty creatures!

After a walk through the woods and meadow, it's always a delight to return to the comfort of the cabin where we can enjoy a hot cup of tea and the cozy comfort of a warm wood fire.

Today I am linking to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog.

cab·in

  [kab-in] 

noun 1. a small house or cottage, usually of simple design and construction.

He was born in a cabin built of rough logs.