Saturday, August 7, 2010

Colorado Wildflower series - #1

Yikes - a week since I last posted here.  Given how much material (photos, anyway) I've obtained in the past week, that makes no sense.  I've been meaning to post; in fact, I was trying to select photos for a Sky Friday post yesterday, got a bit overwhelmed by my choices, went on a 7.5+ mile hike in the afternoon, and got nothing posted.

I've also been doing the unpacking thing, and had to repair my beloved Danish modern studio table that suffered a broken leg during the move (even well-built furniture cannot withstand a heavy box of textbooks falling on it from above...).  Pastel trays are on the table and the laptop is set up to view photos for painting reference.  And yet, I've painted not a thing.  I keep thinking I will, but then I do other things throughout the day, and nothing happens.

Anyone else have this sort of thing happen to them - a stall-out of sorts, for no real tangible reason?  Ugh.  It's frustrating to say the least.

I've been busy organizing and re-naming all the photos I took during our drive out here, in preparation for doing a series of paintings.  That's almost done, but it's a tedious and time-consuming process that I can only handle doing in batches.

Also, we have been going on the most glorious and amazing hikes many of the days, and that's also taken up a fun part of my time.  In stark contrast to CT, where I actually did not enjoy being outside, here I just want to be outside hiking all day.  It's glorious to be back in that physical and mental environment.

At any rate, material is building up and needs an outlet.  So, for starters, here is a series of photos taken of CO wildflowers.  Each hike we've been on has allowed me to capture more and more of the botanical loveliness offered up in this state.  I've referred to an identification guide purchased last year - Wildflowers of Colorado, by Don Mammoser, as well as http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/, to try and identify the flowers.

For all you wildflower aficionados, I hope you enjoy these - more will be on the way.  The location of the photo is noted as well.

Harebell [Campanula rotundifolia]
location:  Purgatory trail



Wild geranium [Geranium richardsonii]
Purgatory trail



Cutleaf coneflower with bee [Rudbeckia laciniata]
Purgatory trail


Rocky Mountain bee plant [Cleome serrulata]
Hwy 285 near Buena Vista

Smooth Blue Aster [Symphyotrichium laeve]
Purgatory trail



Unidentified
This plant, with clusters of white flowers, was found along the wet soils of small streams along the Purgatory trail.  

3 comments:

  1. Cool! These are "my" (familiar) flowers...and I don't even know what most of them are called.
    Glad you're loving CO. Here in Boulder though it's been bizarrely rainy most of the summer.
    About the "stalled out" feeling: yes, it happens to me too...I think it is one's subconscious insisting we let something cook in the back burner in there...because when the stalled feeling ends (as it always does, eventually), it seems one approaches the next round of work feeling fresher.

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  2. Jala - the wildflowers here are so beautiful! When we came out here last year, I was dazzled by them, and continue to be so now. Ironically, for how green and wet it was in CT, not nearly as many wildflowers as here.
    We've been having full monsoon weather ever since we arrived - few days go by when it doesn't rain, and no days go by when huge clouds don't build up. Does the Front Range area get monsoon season?
    I think/hope you're right about the stalled out feeling...thanks for your thoughts on it.

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  3. Yep, we get that weather too.
    So glad you're enjoying life in CO...
    :)

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