A Walk In The Wildside

This is from my most recent walk in the woods behind our house.  Late yesterday afternoon I slung my berry pickin' pail over my arm, and headed off through the bush to see if I could find me some more blackberries.  I've about exhausted the neighbour's patch , but we do have quite a few quarts of frozen wild fruit in the freezer for winter.

In my mind's eye I could recall there being a bramble patch way back in the middle of nowhere.  My mind's eye plays tricks on me some times - perhaps it's an age thing.  When I finally arrived after tripping through spent grain fields, boggy marshland and jungle-like vistas, there were just a few vines, and only one with a couple wizened little berries.  So much for fruit gathering.

But there was more to the journey.  I had my trusty little camera with me and here is what I harvested.

Top side, not sure if the powder rusty substance is spores (I thought they were on the underside, but I could well be wrong).

Underside - in another life these made wonderful little painting canvases.  I should try one again.

This photo does not begin to capture the texture.  I do not know what this grass is, but it is almost as fine as hair and has only grown in the swamp in the past few weeks since the water has finally dispersed for the season.  It is like petting a dogs back.  Wonderful stuff, I want it for my lawn, sun-dappled and emerald green.

Christmas ferns are fairly rare about these parts, but I did discover a very healthy little grouping.  Here is one of the finer specimens, along with a maidenhair in the forefront.

Another elusive, deep-woods friend.  This is a wild turtle's head - if you can supply me with a correct botanical name I would appreciate it.  The flash overexposed it a bit much and I didn't realize it until I got home and transferred to the computer.  This specimen was actually a very delicate pink, as opposed to the usual stark white.

Something caught me vision, just about as I arrived home (I'd been looking for my friend Mr. Cardinal).  The first red leaf of autumn.  It's coming folks.

I didn't add to the freezer, but somehow my inner storehouse runneth over.

And this is about all I have to say for today.

Musings and meanderings from the Musical Gardener.