Our Teen, More Wildflowers, & A Sssnake!

Recently, my oldest turned thirteen.
I wasn't ready!
Honestly, some days I wish that the hands of time could be turned back to her infancy and I could redo so much.
She's a good kid, but bless her heart, her mother has a horrible temper.
She wanted her ears piereced. They are now.
My young teen is beautiful but dealing with an old-fashioned, ridiculously conservative mama is going to stretch her...and stretch the old mama at the same time.
I'm praying for elasticity.

Here are a few more wildflowers:


Roundleaf Groundsel


Wild Violet


Fringed Puccoon

Of course, while tramping over prairie and through the woods, we're already seeing the wildlife that the warmer spring temperatures are rousing. The snakes are already active.
This is just one of several I've already seen.


Some type of water snake

And one of my favorite hiking companions is the three-legged dog.



Now to wake up kids and start the day!
Blessings, Julie

March Wildflowers Part II

Recently, I received an email from a friend that appreciates wildflowers in much the same way that I do.
Her words reminding me of  Matthew 5:44-45.

44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Wildflowers are nondiscriminating, growing around abandoned houses or lots as well as finding their way into the landscaping of your more affluent homes. Wildflowers have the tenacity and perseverance that I long to have in my Christian walk.

 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   ~Hebrews 12: 1-2


I put together a collage showing a few of the wildflowers we see in our yard in March:

               Clockwise from top left; Henbit, Spring Beautys, Muscari/Grape Hycinth, Johnny Jump-ups

We're also seeing False Garlic and Bluets.

                                                                                                False Garlic

                                                                                                 Bluets

The children and I have done some daily hiking down through the pasture and to the woods and lake as of late. I've been searching for morel mushrooms.
We've discovered the snakes are active as well as the ticks.
But, I will persevere with my search and bring you yet more wild blooms!
Blessings, Julie

March Wildflowers

March is such an exciting time in the world of nature!
The earth seems to wake up and don the most exquisite shades of green.
Migratory birds are passing through and many stop to make this home and raise a brood of chicks or two before returning south in the fall.
The Redbuds are about to open and bless us with their purplish-pink adorned branches! And the rains have been so welcome! Thank you, Lord.



Returning from a morel hunt down by the lake yesterday, my oldest and I discovered the Carolina Anemones blooming. Wonderfully, they bloom in both purple and white!





I love Spring!

More blooms to come...
Blessings, Julie

My Wildflower Watch Begins

When I first started blogging several years ago, many of my posts were nature related. And many of my posts were exclusively about the wildflowers the children and I discovered on our little forty acre homestead and the surrounding areas. At that time, my oldest was very involved in putting together a wildflower notebook for 4H and to enter in the county fair.
I can remember one day loading the kids in the van and we drove from one end of our county to the other just looking for and gathering wildflower cuttings. It took us all day, but we had great fun. We've also learned a lot about how the Native Americans and early pioneers used many of these plants for food and medicinal uses. We learned to look close and identify many by their leaves or how many petals the paticular flower had. The website we use primarily for identification is Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses  as we live in north central Oklahoma. Although, there are other websites that have been helpful as well as books.
And so this is my introduction to a series of posts that I will be doing throughout the wildflower growing season. I promise there will be a few that you've never seen or noticed before as I discovered for myself. One of my favorites and more subtle, as it is a low-growing, trailing plant is, Ratany. It blooms in late spring and early summer. I took this photo of it a couple of years ago.

Actually, I have many favorites and to be quite honest I was a bit surprised in the beginning of this learning experience to learn that there are so many different kinds of wildflowers.
And so my trek to spot the wildflowers begins. As busy as things have gotten around here of late, it's gonna be nice to carve out some time to stop and smell the roses!
Blessings, Julie