Saturday, July 12, 2008

A Perfect Summer Evening in the Arb


Dave and I walked in the Upper Arb after an early dinner tonight. After yesterday's heat and humidity, today's fresh, cool breezes were exceedingly welcome and kept the mosquitoes to a minimum. It was really more like a September evening than July. We saw a goldfinch atop one evergreen and something else we weren't sure of at the time but now have identified as a bluebird silhouetted atop another. I believe the light purple flower spikes in the photo collage are lead plant (amorpha canescens). The many-lobed leaves are similar to those of crown vetch, of which we also saw plenty and which can be seen in profusion along areas of I-35W in the metro area; they are both members of the pea or bean family, as is lupine, which we saw (see the stalk of pods and the pea-like white flower stalk in two of these photos) near the bench that overlooks the playing fields and Evans Hall. Black raspberries and orange and red honeysuckle berries were also plentiful.

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