Hikes in woodland areas now reveal emerging patterns of change in the appearance of seasonal wildflowers. There are still buttercups and daisies in evidence, along with flowering cowvetch and clovers, fleabane and cinquefoil.

cinquefoil

fleabane

Strawberries have long since ripened, and raspberries are beginning to, but this is the season for the thimbleberry plants that have popped up from the forest floor with their distinctive maple-leaf-type foliage, to finally flower with bright pink blooms.

In the Bilberry Creek ravine, there isn't much meadow rue, save for a very small patch beside one of the creek tributaries, and its flowering is now in decline, but still evident. Now, goldenrod is beginning to make its distinctive entrance, but not yet in flower. Newly colonized patches of milkweed are yet to thrust into flower but they're approaching that time. Everything seems much earlier this year than in years past.

Queen Anne's lace

Yarrow

Queen Anne's Lace has made its surprisingly early entrance to the flowering brigade. And yarrow too is now in flower, bearing slight resemblance to the former, but for its tiny white flower clusters. And the stately sunflower plants have been growing progressively taller and taller, thanks to the ongoing rain events that have made this a very wet summer. Now, their flowerheads are emerging, bright yellow, echoing the sun. The American bittersweet vines that we've seen in seasons past are now in full thrust, winding their way around helpful tree trunks.

Sunflowers

Although usually spring and fall, as a result of seasonal rain events, generally host fungi of various forms and colours, we came across a patch of Indian Pipe a few days back. And we do see from time to time, some fungal offerings that draw attention. There's no lack of attention-grabbing flora in the ravine at any time during this growing season.

Indian Pipe

Jack and Jill, rambling along before us find no end of curiosities that draw their attention. Mostly, however not their admiration at recognizing beauty, as we do. They're concentrating on what for them appears edible, and since it's almost everything, to our annoyance, it's almost a relief that they've developed a far healthier appetite for the small apples that have been falling prematurely from the woodland's wild apple trees.