The warm sun teased the first blossoms of spring from a Biscuitroot (Lomatium cous). I have never seen this species bloom so early, so I take this to be a bit of a freak of nature. The Biscuitroot's fleshy, starch root was an important food for native peoples. It is often confused with other members of the parsley family such as Cymopterus spp:
The Bitterroots (Lewisia rediviva) are going crazy this year--with the rosettes just carpeting the ground in some areas. It'll be interesting to see if this results in a lot of bloows, or if conditions have favored a high rate of seed germination and the plants are storing resources for blooms in coming years:
The patches of snow around the house were becoming few and far between. As they become scarcer, RolyTheDog values them all the more. Here is RTD, appropriately in a "dog hole"--a shallow, exploratory mining pit that holds a bit of snow:
Clear blue skies, here looking 15 or so miles to the south of Butte, Montana, to the Highland Mountains:
A day or two later? Welcome back, winter, as we woke to greet the snow once again (view from my building at Montana Tech):
So much for my fishing plans this evening.
ER: Oh I'm so done with snow and cold. It looks like we are finally done with the 30's at night. I hope you get better weather so you can wet a line.
ReplyDeleteThe snow was melting fast from our mountains, but we're supposed to get more up high this week. Bad for immediate hiking/riding plans, but good for wildflowers and streamflows this summer.
ReplyDeleteThat last picture looks like a Christmas card. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos.
Oh, what beautiful mountains. The snow is kind of a bummer though. We had some a week or so ago, and I hope that was the last of it.
ReplyDeleteHeck with fishing, time for more skiing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the flower photos and subtexts. I want to learn more about flora here.
ReplyDeleteWith a pretty view like the last photo, winter doesn't seem so bad!
ReplyDeleteWell, fishing guy, my mailman tells me (and somehow, he is often right about these things), Butte America will get its last snow storm 17 June--just as the lilacs are blooming.
ReplyDeleteJanie, our low and mid-elevation snow is largely gone, but it's D-E-E-P as you get above c. 8,000 feet.
Merry Christmas, Hunter's Wife!
Kristine, well, we can always hope...
Anonymous, don't rub it in--I've been too busy at work for much skiing OR fishing--just got a great ski report on a favorite run in my own backyard...
Leslie, let me know if you want suggestions for guide books.
ReplyDeleteLouise, well, some days it feels thatta way.