Watercolour - Fungus

"No spring nor summer beauty had such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face"
John Donne

Lilac Lane Quilts

Lilac Lane Quilts, a shop in Alliston, Ontario, will be hosting my trunk show and Botanical Art Small Wall Quilts Workshop. The trunk show is scheduled for 7:30 pm, Oct. 31st and the workshop is Nov. 1st from 8 am - 4 pm.

Lilac Lane's owner, Liz Schueler, has gone flat out for this event! She is making up kits for the quilts, and will be selling the patterns and all the related items required to make my quilts. Liz has a bright, bubbly personality and is wonderful to work with.

Liz can be reached toll-free at 1-866-435-1041, or emailed at liz@lilaclanequilts.com.

Some of my quilts on display at the shop.

Joe-Pye Weed

Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum) is fading now.

Blueberry Lake, Temagami: Old Growth Trail 2

Continued from previous posts:

Mushrooms and fungi were in abundance. I can't identify them - I need a friend to teach me mushroomology.

This one was so bizarre...

Moose poop looks like giant rabbit poop.

Pileated Woodpecker holes in a red pine.

This is probably a Pink Ladyslipper orchid. I saw these orchids everywhere around Blueberry Lake. The wildflower display must be beautiful in May.

This tree was blasted by lightning. Can you imagine the incredible force?

And this is what remained of the top after the blast.

I would love to lead ecology trips to this area. But what would I call the tour - Tiptoe through the Twinflowers? Nibble your way through the Northwoods? This is what Northern Ontario looks like when people haven't altered the landscape. This is my genius loci.

Blueberry Lake, Temagami: Old Growth Trail 1

Continued from previous 2 posts:

After a leisurely breakfast of porridge and English Breakfast Tea, we set off across the lake to the Old Growth Trail.

There are several distinct habitats on the trail. We had preprinted the Guide to the Blueberry Lake Ecology Trails from the ancientforest.org site, and started the hike up the hillside.

The first thing I noticed were the many clumps of Indian Pipe (Monotrope uniflora). This unusual plant gets its nourishment from fungal connections between its roots and the nearby trees. It is a ghostly white colour.

Indian Pipe

The trail was also chock full of Clintonia borealis, also known as Blue Bead Lily. The following photo shows the glossy dark blue beads which are the seeds that originate from pretty yellow flowers in the spring.

Blue Bead Lily

I soon spotted mats of Creeping Snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), and well as delicious Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Wintergreen leaves are yummy to chew on as you hike the trail!

Wintergreen

There was an amazing diversity of trees: Red Pine, White Pine, White Spruce, Black Spruce, White Cedar, Aspen, White Birch, Yellow Birch, Red Oak, Sugar Maple and Mountain Maple.

Sugar Maples - how green can green be?

Huge old White Pine

Red Pine canopy

The next post will continue with the Old Growth Trail.