Category Archives: flowers

Latest Best Day Ever

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In 1903 the California poppy, Eschscholzia californica, became the official state flower of California. The California poppy is commonly seen blooming in the spring and summer. It flowers along country roads and freeways throughout much of the state. This makes the plant a highly recognizable symbol of California. April 6 of each year is officially designated as California Poppy Day.

I have been asked many questions since I began my full time RV Lifestyle. Where is your favorite place? Are you going back to….? When will you choose where to live? What has been your best day ever.

There are many Best Days Ever. They can big days or little days, big events or little events. Best days ever make my heart sing no matter the size or event.

Last week I had my Latest Best Day Ever. A good friend of mine, Phyllis, and I decided to take a road trip. We drove four hours north to see the poppy fields in bloom at the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve. We drove into the Poppy Preserve in the mid-afternoon on Wednesday.

As I was still in a boot, (post heel surgery) walking and hiking was limited. We walked out on a paved trail. It allowed us to see over the Antelope Valley and enjoy all those beautiful orange flowers. But wait…there were many other flowers as well that helped those California Poppies pop even more.

What flowers grow among the California Poppies?

  • Goldfields: Yellow flowers that often carpet the fields alongside the poppies.
  • Owl Clover: Purplish-pink flowers.
  • Creme Cups: White, cup-shaped flowers.
  • Lupine: Ranging from dwarf to taller purple spikes.
  • Lacy Phacelia: Purple-blue flowers.
  • Coreopsis: Yellow sunflowers.
  • Red Stem Filaree: Small pink-purple flowers.

After spending the night in Lancaster, California we went back to the poppy fields the next morning. We never made it to the reserve. We discovered good dirt roads surrounded with poppy fields and many other kinds of flowers. We never resist a challenge. So, we took Phyllis’s Prius onto the dirt roads. We immersed ourselves in the flowers of the Antelope Valley.

I am a photographer so how could this post not include a video of my most current Best Day Ever. It is 7 minutes long. There is a slight pause between the first and second piece of music. Don’t leave too soon. And you can click on any photo in the blog and it will enlarge the photo. You can get more eye candy that way. Enjoy the Slideshow.

As most know I am a traveler and wanderer. I look for places outside. I look for wildlife to keep my camera busy. I have been stationary for almost six weeks. I have been getting itchy to move. I knew going into this heel surgery that the healing process is long. And I have been good giving myself the time to heal. I know that getting out was good for this wandering woman

I love nature. It always has the ability to surprise me. I knew I would see poppies. I did not realize how absolutely charmed and enthralled I would be among the fields of blossoms. It was so wonderful to spend the day looking at flowers and a few birds. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It made me so happy. It made me decide that this was one of my Latest Best Day Ever.

And a big shout out to Phyllis. It is always so wonderful to have a friend who is willing to go along on a last minute adventure.

Today I am thankful for the big wide open outdoors. There is always something new to find and explore and be in awe over.

Today I am thankful.


Getting Ready-Heading South

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After so many months it seems a bit strange to say I am “getting ready to roll”. Yes, the owners are returning to their lovely home on Whidbey Island. My time is up and I am heading south. I am ready for a bit less rain and warmer temperatures. It has been raining a lot lately. One week it rained for almost a whole week straight before the blessed sun returned to the sky and everything dried out.

I have enjoyed my stationary time. Well mostly stationary. I have made a few excursions to the Oregon coast to meet up with friends. After a week away I returned to Whidbey and the house. I also have been to the Olympic Peninsula twice. I love exploring our national parks.

I have lived full time, well mostly, in my tiny RV for more than five years. Staying in one place has been a new experience for me. I have had plenty of time to explore. I have experienced the changing of seasons in the Pacific Northwest. I arrived at the beginning of spring and am leaving halfway through the fall.

For the first time in years, I have experienced changing of the seasons. It started rainy and blustery. As the spring progressed the rain stopped and everything came alive. I discovered when the rain stops in the spring everything greens up and flower season begins. After living in southern California for almost thirty years I thrived on the green here. There are so many tall trees. Walking in the woods smells wonderful. It really helps when that walk often ends at a beach.

This year I got to watch the progression of flower seasons. When I first arrived Daffodils and Tulips were everywhere. I was able to meet up with a good friend and enjoy tulip season in the Skagit Valley. It was breathtaking.

Tulip season folded into Rhododendron season. There was color everywhere. I discover private and public gardens to explore on my walks and bike rides. The east coast lilacs I grew up with competed for attention with the Rhodies. I love lilacs and it was a joy to have them in vases in the house. I would walk downstairs in the morning and smell the lilacs as I entered the living space. What a wonderful smell.

As the season rolled into summer the flowers faded, replaced by green, sunny, warm days. I got my fair share of kayaking, walking, and cycling in. Except for a few days, the temperatures were mild. It was good to be outside.

The flowers made a reappearance this fall when the Dahlias stepped forward to fill the flower void. Oh my, there were dahlias everywhere. They were on display at roadside stands, farms, yards, and even my front yard. I love dahlias. 

I have also seen a progression of birds as the season’s change. Hummingbirds were here and then they were gone, while they raised their young, and then they reappeared. Recently the crows who have been around all summer have disappeared. Where have they gone? I have seen eagles, osprey, sparrows (golden-crowned, song, white-crowned), finches, and flickers. My joy this summer was seeing Harlequin and Pintail Ducks for the first time. I have treasured the birds and the time I have to enjoy them. 

And then, of course, there is my special little brown birdy, who has made me feel so important, special, and unique. I see him every few days. He always acknowledges me. I enjoyed the times that he seems particularly thrilled to see me, flying over to visit and sitting on my foot or leg. I will miss him. I also know he is OK out there in his birdy world. 

I have made friends on Whidbey. One of them, Lela is going to join me for part of the trek south. She owns a Roadtrek RV as well. My neighbors, Robyn and Tom have been such a great resource and a delight. I am glad to have met them. 

All in all, it has been a very good way to spend another Covid summer.

Thank you Jim and Sandy for loaning me your beautiful home with the drop-dead gorgeous sunsets. I will always be grateful for this opportunity. 

Now the days are shorter. It gets dark early in the afternoon and stays dark later in the morning. I find I am longing for the sun and the warmth. It is time to go.

Today I am feeling thankful for the opportunities that present themselves to me. Today I am thankful I can recognize them. Today I am thankful for life.

 

Flowers-Nature’s Show

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Flowers are amazing. Have you ever taken the time to really look at a flower? It goes beyond color and shape, although these are interesting features as well. Each part of a flower has a purpose. There are common flowers we see every day. There are weeds that grow in the wild. There are flowers and then there are FLOWERS.

Since I have been on Whidbey Island in Washington State I have been enjoying flowers I have not seen in years. When I first arrived the early spring flowers were blooming. Daffodils and Tulips abound. Just at the end of that season, the Rhododendrons began to bloom. Oh my, they were beautiful. They continued to bloom week after week. in the middle of Rhododendron season, the Lilacs started to bloom. I have favorite flowers and Lilacs are pretty close to the top of the list. Their fragrance and colors are delightful. When I was in high school my father and I would drive to abandoned farmsteads and pick lilacs, fill the car and bring them home. Oh, how I love those flowers.

When I arrived back on Whidbey Island in early August there were new flowers at the roadside stands. Another favorite flower has arrived. Dahlia season is in full swing. They are so unique. Dahlias come in all shapes and sizes. They can be huge or small. Their petals are perfectly formed. The colors are wide-ranging. They are beautiful flowers. It is not uncommon on my walks or bike rides to see Dahlias in almost every yard.

Around this time of the year, I think of my Mom. My Mom loved her gardens. There was an Iris garden and a Rose garden. There were the early spring flowers in every garden. From early spring until late fall something was in bloom in our yard.

My Mother was eighty when she died, shortly after Labor Day. When my sister, Ruth, and I arrived at our family home in Delaware, we helped my Dad plan my Mother’s funeral.

When it came to choosing flowers for the casket the florist was willing to work with us. We went into the backyard to see what was in bloom. The Dahlias were in bloom. My dad took great pride in growing some of the largest Dahlias I have ever seen.

We cut Roses and other flowers in bloom in our yard. The featured flowers were the beautiful Dahlias. The display on top of my Mother’s casket was a generous and beautiful display of late summer and fall flowers from the garden. It was personal and touching. Every time I see Dahlias it brings back a special memory of my mother and our family’s tribute to her.

This spring and summer I have been enjoying the multitude of flowers that exist where there is water. I have enjoyed the long seasons of several flower groups. I like walking outside and seeing luscious colors. I especially love seeing the Dahlias in bloom. It gives my mind a chance to wander to my Mom and treasured moments in time.