Jun 162013
 

I was looking at some photos I took today of alfalfa flowers and I couldn’t help but notice how much the tiny little blooms resemble sweet peas. So I looked “alfalfa” up on Wikipedia and discovered that, sure enough, it’s in the pea family. Who knew??

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Jun 152013
 

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Leucistic Robin (whom I have dubbed “Luke”) stopped by again today to take a bath. I am so tickled that he has become a regular visitor.

Jun 142013
 

Today I had the distinct honor of finding and photographing what I’ve long considered to be the “Holy Grail” of the Colorado wildflower scene – the Calypso Orchid, aka the Fairy Slipper Orchid. I’ve been on a mission to find this elusive bloom ever since I started photographing wildflowers several years ago. Today finally I found them while I was hiking along the North Fork of the Big Thompson River in the Comanche Wilderness Area north of Estes Park. Oh happy day!!!

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Jun 132013
 

I was completely uninspired in the photography department today. It was either this or the moon and I’ve already done the moon a couple of times.

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Jun 122013
 

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Just killing some time with my iPhone this afternoon while waiting for my not-one-but-TWO flat tires to be fixed.

Jun 102013
 

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The juicy little succulent pictured here is Purslane, aka Portulaca oleracea. Chances are, if you have a garden or planting beds or any kind of relatively bare patch of ground or a crack in your sidewalk, you’ve seen this plant and you probably think of it as nothing more than an annoying weed.

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But guess what! It’s actually FOOD and it is good for you! Among other nutrients, Purslane is high in Vitamins A and C and beta carotene and contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy green plant! It has a tart, somewhat lemon-ish taste and it works really well raw in salads. I’ve also had it sauteed in butter and garlic and in soups. I understand that it’s a rather common food in Mexico, where it is called verdolagas and is eaten in many different dishes. A quick internet search will show you all sorts of recipes.

I dare you to try it! :)