Today I took a short ride around the lake and, at the lowest end, heard the jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum song of of bullfrogs! I couldn't catch a glimpse of even one but I heard and enjoyed their voices. I did spot a little turtle sunning itself in the same area.
My mother was a nature lover through and through. She took every opportunity to point out and identify for us, many woodland creatures and plants. We were always going for walks in the woods, fields and pond areas. Today I noticed a plant that I haven't seen for a long time. As I don't walk through the woods now I was delighted to find these at the shady side of the road.
They sometimes are called bog onions, brown dragons, Indian turnips, wild turnips, American wake robin, but I know them as Jack-in-the-Pulpits. They thrive very well in moist and shady, seasonally wet locations and are deer resistant. This perennial can live 25+ years! *For more information click on the link below.
I have a tale to tell about these! My kids all played in the woods behind our home when they were young. One son around age 8, had discovered this plant when it had gone to seed and encouraged his younger brother to join him and try out a few of the little red berries. They soon both came crying and blubbering in pain, drooling and almost unable to tell me what was wrong. After learning what they did, a quick call to the doctor followed and I was told to have them rinse their mouths out with milk, spit it out and then suck on white bread soaked in milk until the heat subsided. It worked! Lesson learned, the hard way. Thank goodness they didn't eat any and only bit into a few!
The thousands of Lily of the Valley plants around the cabin are just starting to bloom and I pulled a few blossom stems for inside because I love the fragrance. We are expecting heavy rainstorms tomorrow so I will have my outdoors - indoor. A couple of snips from a neighbor's lilac bush completes my homey atmosphere and I'm happy.
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