My grandson Jacob and I went up into the woods to try and see the Indian Pipes this evening right before dark. It was a perfect time to be in the woods looking for a ghostly flower. We found the Indian Pipes, glowing like wax candles in the gloom, turning black at the tips of the bracts and petals as they went into their final seed-making phase. We also saw many other kinds of mushrooms and fungi, a few of which I drew and Jacob looked up identifications.
I've never heard of Indian Pipes!, they sound magical, how lucky you are to have something like that.
ReplyDeletei once, long ago, gathered up a bag of indian pipes and then used them to make dye, a lovely charcoal gray on wool.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they could be used as dye! they turn black as they die, so that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteit was in my dyeing with mushroom and lichen days...when i was living in the adirondacks and learning the mysteries of the deep woods. i remember soaking indian pipes in a bucket of water and the black began to seep out, looking like ink.
ReplyDeleteI have to try this!
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