We saw a Bear! ~ And lots of flowers!

We traveled to one of our local ATV trails today and about 10 miles into our journey my husband (who is driving our side-by-side) says, "Bear!" I look to my left and sure enough a bear is running off through the woods! I just saw a streak of movement and a brown blur but he saw it first and quite clearly!

Let this be a cautionary tale... these trails and a myriad of other trails all starting at the same campground are used by ATV's, hikers, bicyclists, horse packers and campers. We all know to be cautious but sometimes it's all so sudden you are caught unaware. We did warn another couple we met on the trail and posted on the local social media.

Other than that it was a lovely ride with some great photo opportunities.

Description of Pink Lousewort Elephant Head Pedicularis groenlandica:

If you look at the flowers from a distance, the name just seems ridiculous, but a closer view shows amazing individual pink elephant heads, complete with floppy ears and long, twisting trunk.
Pedicularis groenlandica is a showy flowering plant in the broomrape family which is known by the common names elephant's head and elephanthead lousewort. This erect plant can grow to a height of 30". Its sharply-toothed fern-like leaves are located low on the stout stem. The stem is topped with a large inflorescence of bright pink to purple or white flowers. Each flower has a long, pointed beak which curves upward, superficially resembling the trunk of an elephant, and the lateral lobes of the flower resemble an elephant's ears. Like other louseworts and related broomrape genera, this is a root parasite and grow best mixed with grasses and other plants. Zones 3-8

 Elderberry plants (Sambucus canadensis) are truly multi-purpose. Growing your own offers many unique benefits. You can plant several in a row to create an attractive hedge or screen, or you can use them as wildlife attractants that will bring even more natural beauty to your backyard. In spring, an elderberry plant features magnificently scented white flowers and, in summer, it will produce a bounty of dark purple-black berries that you won’t find in many grocery stores. The berries from the elderberry plants are commonly used for making delicious wines, jams, sauces, and pies. The flowers are used for making fritters, pancakes, or tea. You can craft combs, spindles, or pegs from the hard wood and create basketry dyes with the twigs and fruit.




Anaphalis margaritacea, commonly known as the western pearly everlasting or pearly everlasting, is an Asian and North American species of flowering perennial plant in the sunflower family. It is widespread across most of the United States and Canada, as well as northwestern Mexico.

Meadows full of Shooting Stars and Buttercups

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon) & buttercups (Ranunculus) as far as the eye can see!!  ~ Native plants along the ATV trail at Moss Springs, Union County, Oregon.

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon) & buttercups (Ranunculus)

Shooting stars (Dodecatheon) & buttercups (Ranunculus)

The back country ~ It's good for the soul

We recently invested in an ATV - Side-by-Side, so we could enjoy driving the roads that were once open and passable by a truck or even a car. Places we had not been able to go to in years... it was so peaceful and good for the soul. Only met one other rider during our 15 mile ride!

View of the Eagle Caps's along the Breshear's ATV trail at Moss Springs, Union County, Oregon.

Snow fed stream along the Breshear's ATV trail at Moss Springs, Union County, Oregon.

Canning Rainier Cherries

Worked up 20 lbs of beautiful Rainier Cherries in the last 2 days! Made 3 jars of Amaretto Cherries too! Yum!! Sent about 1/2 of the jars home for the great grands! Will be using the culls (the bruised but still good fruit) for jam. Enjoy the show!

What beautiful and huge, cherries!

Fill her up! Using a light syrup as these are a sweet/tart cherry.

First two batches! Cherries turned yellow and the syrup is pink!

Radish seed pods ~ they're great!

Letting the radish crop go to seed has several bonuses... Radish pods taste just like the radishes they spawn from, but more concentrated in flavor. ... All radish plants form edible seed pods, and there is even an heirloom variety called Rat's Tail radish grown specifically for its large, tender seed pods. Bees and other pollinators love the blooms and so do I. Use in stir fry, salads, pickle them for garnish and eat them right in the garden. From root to pod, they are delicious!

Radishes in bloom

Raised beds, for vegetable, herb and fruit

Raised beds, for vegetable, herb and fruit, at our daughter's house, created out of Douglas fir, peeler cores. What a great job!! Love the way they turned out; the seating area and the octagon bed are fabulous!!

Morel Season is finally here!

Most years we can start hunting (not always finding) for morels in late April, sometimes as early as mid April. Usually have a few good harvest by at least mid May. This year has been so cold, with late snow and lots of rain, that the season has started late. Hopefully that means we will still be picking in July!  Oh, and the huckleberry bushes are starting to bloom! Looking forward to a good season for them.

We did beat the storm, yes were headed right into those clouds!

These were 4 inches long and 3 1/2 inches across at the base