Diving Lesson

It’s bottoms up for the adolescent geese today as their parents take them out on the pond and one big goose demos a legs-in-the-air-waving style!

Studies

This is a postcard-size section of a study for a piece about the pre-history of one of my favorite places.  Small rubber cuts and Caran d’Ache.
And another
And another
And here are some very new goslings and the now adolescents

Putty Root Blooms! Growing Goslings!

Yesterday the putty root orchids were putting up bloom stems.
Today some of the racemes are branching out!  Last year at this point shiny black miniature beetles moved in and sucked the life out of the blossoms before they could open.  Maybe tomorrow the bloom on the far left will open.  These are such rare flowerings.  This year the adjacent floribunda roses are protecting them from trail walkers and dogs somewhat.
Meanwhile yellow water irises are opening in the pond

and the goslings are turning rapidly into geese.

Wild Iris Patches on Jones Mountain