If You Go Down In The Woods Today......in Kentucky

[Maggi Young]

All this talk of temperature swings has reminded me that feet are getting cold.... I'm off to snuggle with a warm Bulb Despot.... it's cheaper than switching the heating back on Goodnight!

[mark smyth]

There was a surprise when I got home from work today. Two Sanguinaria were open. Due to the darn wind the flowers didnt sit still for good photos

[alpines]

Well there you go Mark. The power of the SRGC does remarkable things....and no rattlesnakes either!!!

[mark smyth]

What is the link with the snakes? Do they disturb the roots?

[alpines]

Mark....my sense of humor is often misplaced. I'm not sure they disturb anything other than me.
One has to be conscious of the fact that this is THEIR territory and the sudden impulse to wander off through the leaf litter to 'get a better shot', has to be tempered by the fact that any wild area, either in the woods or the mountains, is home to some incredibly dangerous critters. There are four extremely  venemous snakes in KY, the timber rattlesnake, the copperhead, the water mocassin (aka cottonmouth) and the pygmy rattlesnake. All are potentially deadly but generally they will stay well clear of recognized trails, paths etc. so on the good side, you are hardly likely to encounter one unless you stray into their habitat, but even so, you ALWAYS look before you sit on a rock and always tap on a log before you stride over it. It sounds paranoid but it does make good sense.
Probably the worse thing you'll encounter without actually knowing it until the damage has been done, is the Brown recluse spider. These things inject venom which can eat your flesh away in no time at all.
Then there are bears which can be very intimidating..........and ticks which cause lyme disease.

All in all, you don't have to be afraid of anything...you just have to respect it.
And you thought Sherba and I were out having fun

[Paddy Tobin]

Dear Alan and Sherba,

It is a few day since I logged on to this site and so today it was a great pleasure to go through all your photographs. I have a great friend in Maryland and regularly receive seed from him as I find the North American woodland plants very interesting. William Cullina's two books are two favourites and show why it is such a pity that here in Europe we so often look to the east for our plants and neglect the fabulous wealth of plant in North America.

You have presented a great selection of photographs, an excellent recommendation for your native flora.

Many thanks, Paddy

[mark smyth]

Spiders! and I've seen some giants over there with big black and yellow bodies - run for cover!!!!

[alpines]

Paddy,

Thank you for your kindness. So glad you enjoyed the photos. Hopefully there will be more to come this weekend but the sages have predicted cold, cloudy and wet weather for Saturday & Sunday, and the woods can be treacherous underfoot when the weather is bad. I'm not too worried about broken bones but the thought of breaking my camera??? now that's another matter !!!!

Mark......it's not the BIG spiders you have to worry about....it's the little ones....seriouisly

[Lesley Cox]

Much pleasure and enjoyment to me too, Alan and Sherba. Just caught up with this thread. A busy week in and out but today we are having the first snow of the dark season, very early, and dark out, so time to catch up.

Specially pleased to see the Ery. albidum as I have young ones just about due to flower. What a treat this great selection has been.

[alpines]

Hi Lesley,

Glad you enjoyed the postings. This week should be bluebell week in Kentucky. Mertensia virginica is our local bluebell and the woods should be full, so hopefully we'll be out and about again this weekend. Won't be too long before Ladies' Slipper season is upon us, and if the rest of the plants we've seen this Spring are anything to go by, then we should be in for a treat. We will of course share anything we find.
My sister lives in Auckland so I know all about your current dark nights....but then of course it's our turn to envy you in October.