Jack in the Pulpit

We're lucky enough to have more than one type of Jack in the Pulpit growing wild on our property. This is the most common, Arisaema triphyllum spp triphyllum. (Triphyllum = three leaves.)

Technically speaking, the "jack" is the spadix, and the "pulpit" is the spathe.

One of these days I'm going to memorize plant anatomy so I don't have to look it up all the time. I always feel dumb when I ask a question, and the answer involves so many technical terms that I feel like Gilligan, with all the Professor's lofty knowledge floating away right over my head.
At that point I never can decide the best course of action:
1) Nod and act like I understand,
2) Look confused and hope the expert will realize that I don't understand,
3) Admit outright that I don't understand, or
4) Look around frantically for another interesting flower, so I can shout "Ooh pretty!" and run away just as soon as the expert's lips quit moving.
Usually I opt for something between #1 and #2. "Hmm..." combined with a thoughtful look -- neither too confused nor too satisfied. A look that should convey, "Although I'm not a total idiot, I didn't quite catch your meaning, because obviously I'm not as smart as you are."

Here's Arisaema triphyllum ssp quinatum. I could only find one that was in bloom already.

Up close and personal.

There is another type here, but I couldn't find it blooming yet, so I'll write a "part 2" later.
Jacks are easy to confuse with Trilliums sometimes, especially before they bloom. The lighter colored leaves in the lower portion of the photo are Jacks:

In a garden I toured recently, the owner showed us what she called a "Japanese Jack in the Pulpit":

See how long the spadix is? Note my friend's fingers at the top of the picture below. She's holding the tip of the spadix! And that's the spathe way down on the ground, underneath the leaves (that look more like our Green Dragon's leaves).

I believe this variety is either Arisaema urashima or Arisaema thunbergii. (They're similar.)

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More information:
Wildwood Park's look at Jacks.
Primrose Path's page on American Jack varieties.
Paghat's Jack in the Pulpits and Cobra Lilies.
Arisaema Info.
International Aroid Society.

Porky Cornered....

Uh Oh... Owww owwwwww....

Y'got me... oooooohhhhhh. We are having 'puter probs... as one kitty put it, our puter's got hairballs uchhhhh. We are having a respite this weekend. So excited to be going to Lake Tahoe woohee!!! See ya next week bloggerinos!!! Hugs xo Sammie and Ozzie

You Think You Got Problems?

Chuckles for the weekend...

Chipping sparrow

Poor little stunned Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina).
Birds do still occasionally fly into our windows, dirty as they are.
I found a sheltered spot in the woods and left him there to recover on his own. Later I googled, and it suggested that we should have kept the bird in a towel-lined, dark shoebox for an hour or two.
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Don't forget to visit the Friday Ark.

Long weekend

'Tis the season for baby toads.

Everywhere a nest, nest.

Woodpecker playground.

Top of the previous tree, now on the ground.

Somewhere behind these leaves, many warblers were cheerfully singing.
(Kentucky, Blue-winged, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Louisiana Waterthrush.)

Happy with "just clover".

Black Knot & the Cherry Tree.

It's a Giveaway!

Every increased possession loads us with new weariness. John Ruskin
In that spirit, I'm giving away this 1912 Embroidery Lessons with Colored Studies book. All you have to do is tell me why my blog is your absolute favorite blog of all time. Just kidding!
What I do want to know is why you want it. Just leave a comment. I'll pick the one that delights me the most. No random generator here!
I'll announce the winner over the weekend; probably Sunday night. Happy providence!

Man conquers mountain, but not without a price

As the subject matter of my blog would indicate, I consider myself to be in relatively good shape.
I go for runs pretty regularly, I weight lift and I can rip off a long bike ride without too much trouble. I won't be setting any marathon records in the near future, but I also won't be gasping for air after walking up a flight of stairs.
With being in shape comes the expectation that you can perform most physical activities with ease, even if it's an activity that your body isn't used to. The activity might feel taxing at first, but if you're in good enough shape, your body should be able to adapt to it as you go.
As I would come to find out the other day after doing a day hike near Seattle with my step brother Derek, that's not quite the case for me.
One of the goals I had while visiting Derek in the Pacific Northwest last week was to do a hiking trip of some sort. He's a pretty avid hiker and I figured the area was probably brimming with good trail options in the surrounding mountain ranges.
Derek suggested McClellan Butte, a 4.6-mile hike up roughly 3,300 feet of elevation. According to him, it was a popular trail in the area that featured a relatively easy climb and some pretty impressive views at the summit (the first photo is an actual picture of the mountain, it certainly doesn't LOOK easy).
One thing to know about my agreement to do this hike: I haven't done any serious hiking in years. The last trip I did was a week-long excursion in the Grand Canyon more than three years ago, and that had much more gradual elevation changes for most of the trek. I've hiked most of the parks in the Mankato area, but mountain ranges aren't exactly common in southern Minnesota.
Despite knowing all of this, I reasoned that I was in good enough shape to keep up with Derek on the hike. Besides, nobody wants to look like a wimp in front of their brother. So instead of asking him to slow down and rest more frequently, I pressed on and tried to zone out whatever pain might have been creeping up my legs.
About midway through the hike to the summit, my legs felt limber and my cardiovascular system seemed like it had adjusted to the activity. I figured that meant I would get through the hike with no issues and wouldn't have any residual effects in the days that followed.
As it turns out, I was half-right.
As the photo on the right would indicate, I did indeed make it to the summit of McClellan Butte. And aside from a pretty embarrassing fall in a snow bank along the trail, I handled the hike about as well as a novice hiker can be expected to handle it.
However, when I tried to get out of bed the next morning, it became obvious that the hike had written a check my body was having trouble cashing. My legs felt stiff, my knees were sore and my hips ached. It hurt to go up and down stairs and any attempts to stretch were met with angry shrieks from my leg muscles telling me something along the lines of "I told you this was a bad idea, you idiot!"
Matter of fact, my lower body still feels that way two days later. I've gone on a couple of decent bike rides since the hike, so it's not as bad as the first few days after a marathon (the time period I like to refer to as a "cardio vacation"). But for a guy who thought he was in pretty decent shape, it's a pretty surprising revelation.
Lesson learned: Take it slow with new activities. The hike was an absolute blast and one of the highlights of my trip, but I think my legs would've appreciated another rest stop or two along the way.