Nature Friday

 We are joining Rosy today for Nature Friday~~

We didn't do too much walking this week due to the wet weather.

The Black Eye's Susans are looking so pretty and so cheerful in our garden~

The beautiful Joe Pye Weed~

The Marigolds are making us dream of autumn and cooler temps~

These Indian Pipes are near Landlord Bob's mailbox.  

This picture of Ghost Pipes/Indian Pipes was posted on the Sleeping Giant FB page~

This poem was also posted and we thought it was just perfect.

Dear followers, we hear your queries ring ,
What is this plant, what tale does it bring?
In verse and rhyme, we'll unfurl its lore,
The Ghostpipe's tale, like never before .

Hear ye, all naturalists, lend an eye ,
As we delve in the tale of the Ghostpipe that lie.
Beneath the grand giants  of Beech trees high,
Grows Monotropa uniflora, under the sky .

A perennial specter, it graces our earth ,
From Asia to America, it shares its birth.
Devoid of green glow, it shies from the sun ,
In the dense forest's darkness , its life is spun.

Ghostly  and waxy, it stands up white,
Though black flecks or pale pink may grace its sight.
And rare of the rarest bear a deep red hue ,
For each stem, a flower , a sight to accrue.

With bracts like scales, along its lean span,
It reaches up high, as high as it can.
From five to thirty centimeters tall,
Under the forest's emerald shawl .

In summer and autumn, it blooms in glory,
Each flower, a chapter, in its unique story .
Post rainfall , they emerge, a sight to adore,
Carrying a secret, folklore has in store.

No chlorophyll does this ghost contain,
It saps food from fungi , in sun or in rain .
With roots adorned by cystidia hairs,
It clings to the hyphae in fungal lairs.

A solitary flower it bears, unique,
As the summer days into autumn sneak .
Bumblebees  come, in their humble flight,
Drawn to the spectral bloom, in sheer delight.

Despite its beauty, and allure so grand,
Remember, my friends, do not extend your hand .
For in its body, toxins reside ,
Keep your distance, and let it abide.

From ghostly white to deep scarlet red,
It tells a story seldom read .
So marvel from afar, respect its space,
This ghostly resident of the giant's grace.

Happy Friday, everybuddy!

Love ya lots♥

Molly