The diamorpha (the red stuff, as people here call it) is lovely just now on Arabia Mountain. Soon there will be tiny white flowers at the top of this red succulent plant.
Look at the photo that Richard got for you, can you see the tiny white flowers just beginning to bud? There are some other flowers mixed in, with seedpods that look like small crosses to me. Like this...+ + +
Can you see Panola Mountain just there on the horizon? Look at the very middle and then, look just to the right...that's Panola Mountain. I am hoping to also hike to the top of Panola Mountain and then, to climb to the top of Stone Mountain during the month of March. (I better hurry up, it is flying by!) They call this Monadnock Madness, and there are special days that you can sign up to do all three in one day! You can also do the three monadnocks at different times of the month, and you get a special passport which they stamp for you, and once the three have been climbed, you receive a special prize! What a neat idea, hats off to whoever thought of this to promote the magnificent monadnocks in this area. (This is the second year that they have done this, so I am hoping I am able to complete all three, like I did last year!)
Look what I found! Trout lilies they are called, see the mottled leaves? That is why they are called that, supposed to remind you of trout! The yellow flowers are a beautiful shade of bright yellow, and their little faces are face down, that is just how they bloom, they were very healthy looking, lots of rain, don't you know!
I also got to see RANGER ROBBY! I caught him just as he was trying to get away from me leaving! What a nice guy, he made sure that I got my passport stamped. (At Arabia, they have a kind of post box just beside the door with the stamps inside.) We chatted for a bit and spoke of our love for Arabia Mountain and I enjoyed seeing him so much that I asked if he would pose with me for a photo and he said yes! (I had the photo on here, but since it was not my best picture and I only like beauty on my blog, it has now been edited!)
They reckon that Arabia Mountain is 400 MILLION years old. I believe that it is very special and should be lovingly cared for and protected. It was heavily quarried and at one time, was a dumping ground for rubbish and old refrigerators! Hopefully, with more folks becoming aware of these special monadnocks , they will win more champions for the mountains.
This past Saturday the weather was nice, a very nice day for Arabia Mountain, and for the other magnificent monadnocks too...Panola Mountain and Stone Mountain: I love them all.
CAN YOU TELL? HA!
Hardly a better way to start my day than with a post about Arabia, or Stone, or Panola Mountain from my dear friend Kay, for my morning coffee read!
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh by how you wrote about Ranger Robby "just leaving" :-)
Is it the same passport to be stamped again this year, or will you have a new one every year you participate in the Monadnock Madness?
Wonderful pictures, and I think this is the first time you show us the trout lilies, isn't it? (You know me and yellow...)
Thanks, Meike! I like the idea of you having your coffee and seeing the views at Arabia Mountain!
DeleteYes, HA HA, I have always wanted to use that strike out feature but never found a need for it until now!
The passport is just a little thing that they have printed, so they give you a new one every year. Even if I don't get to do all three this month, that's okay since I really like to climb them all year,,, but since I did it last year, I hope to do it this year too!
And yes, this is the first time for the trout lilies on my blog, and I knew you would love those yellow flowers!
I'd never heard of these three mountains until I discovered your blog. They look amazing with their own highly specialized ecology adapted to suit the conditions on the bare sheets of rock. Hope you have a good time exploring the outdoors this spring and summer after a cold winter.
ReplyDeleteThe plant life is incredible on these rocks! It's very hard to tear myself away when I am there, it is like it is a different world.... I really love it. Wait until you see all the wildflowers that will be showing you very shortly, it will be amazing, I promise!
DeleteGood luck summiting all three this year! They are all very beautiful and worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I hope I can make it! I will try my best! :-)
DeleteSometimes I feel as old as Arabia Mountain...on Monday just past I did...by the time I finished all my chores! Well, the chores set down for that day, at least...I still have more to do.
ReplyDeleteI live on a mountain...so it could be said I walk around part of a mountain, daily! ;)
I hope you walk on your mountain as much as you can, you must be very fit and healthy!
DeleteFlowers with crosses and a smiling ranger? I'd say you all did well. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's always special to me!
DeleteThat is amazing -- 400 million years! You look so cute (and the ranger ain't bad either lol). I always love your pictures of that wonderful diamorpha -- it's not something we ever get here. Trust you are doing wonderful, dear friend :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice! It's funny, I looked at this post the next day and my photo depressed me so, I took it out! HA!! I hope you are taking of yourself, I know you are very busy so I thank you for taking the time to leave this comment. God bless you!
DeleteLovely!
ReplyDeleteI just canny believe the ranger would try and escape you.....
That nice Ranger Robby ALMOST got away in his ranger truck but I was just WAY too fast for him!!
DeleteThe red stuff is just lovely and beautifully photographed by Richard as always :) Your 3 mountain challenge sounds like the Three Peaks Challenge here. The main one is to climb the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales in 24 hours but there are regional variations too - I'm not tempted by any of them! I'll stick to reading your adventures and looking at your lovely photos of the views up there! xx
ReplyDeleteOh! I would love to climb the three highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales! Just like I would like to hike the entire Appalachian Trail, but that won't happen either, I am too old and when I was young, too poor to take time off from my working life! Oh well!
DeleteYou know you will see more photos of the flowers from these mountains, I love the flowers!! xx