Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Hiking Gayfeather Trail

What a beautiful morning this morning turned out to be! Cool and sunshiney with a cloudless blue sky! I started my morning off at work with a mile and half hike on Gayfeather Trail. Here are a few of the things I observed along the way...

The Gayfeather Trail-head and my beloved walking stick.

Bright yellow Ashy Sunflowers and several varieties of Goldenrod were the predominant wildflowers that dotted the prairie landscape this morning. 

A buffalo wallow.

I saw this one small sprig of azure Chicory growing along the trail. Growing up, Chicory was my favorite wildflower, but I don't see much of it here in southwest Missouri.

Prairie landscape stretches out to the treeline.

Prairie landscape stretches right out to the horizon.

Like I said...cloudless. What a beautiful, brilliant, blue sky!

Prairie grasses growing tall.

Another buffalo wallow. Can you see all the bison hoof prints?

Some of the last of this year's Gayfeather (a.k.a. Blazing Star)

Cord Grass (or Ripgut) swaying in the wind.

Clumps of Prairie Rose Gentian dotted the edges of the trail along the far side

Another view along the trail. 

I didn't get pictures of them, but I did see four White-tailed Deer on my outing and the bison herd was across the road from the trail-head.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Pollinators On Thistles

My favorite flower...the thistle!

A fat, little bumblebee atop a beautiful thistle. 

A black swallowtail atop a beautiful thistle.

A gorgeous tiger swallowtail atop a beautiful thistle.

Another shot of the tiger swallowtail atop the thistle.

Another black swallowtail atop a thistle.