Not far from my house and en route to the airport, IKEA, DSW and Target (all important destinations) I’ve passed that sign at least 300 times (by rough calculation) since moving here in 2005. Guess what! We finally stopped, okay honestly it was in July when we visited but I’m just now getting around to posting about it. This willow tree takes me back to my childhood; I wish we had space for one.
That's a mighty golden Eco-roof.
Tempting...but you just never know...
Our first glimpse of one of the ponds. I was expecting mosquito heaven but thankfully didn't encounter a single one.
A favorite weed of mine, the common Teasel.
Another fav, the much feared Horsetail.
Can you see the wire mesh on the boardwalk? Do you think it's to keep the wood from being slippery? It had the opposite effect for me and I kept catching my flip flips in it. Don't do this at home!
At the ponds edge...
Wild Sweet Peas?
There was a little boat launch here where you could put your kayak or canoe in the Columbia River slough. I've always wanted to paddle along here, although seeing how dingy the water is maybe that's not a great idea.
One of the ponds and the little stream between it and slough.
Nice!
Somebodies been busy!
Another pond.
And a peek back at the first pond, from the other side.
More Sweet Peas.
These were winding their way up everything!
Another garden worthy big leaf.
Anyone know what it is?
As for nature of the "moving-around type" the only thing we saw were birds (there were ducks on the ponds but no turtles), squirrels, and tiny fish. Still it was a nice walk and a good chance to explore somewhere I'd always wondered about!
Looks like you had a good time exploring the park behind your mystery sign. What a great slice of nature in the city.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me so happy that places like this exist!
DeleteIs that last photo Rumex? If so, I hate that stuff! It has roots like a tree and spreads everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI think the others nailed it with Burdock, but now I know to avoid Rumex too, so thank you!
DeleteI would say Woolly burdock or another Arctium species, but it's difficult to tell
ReplyDeleteGregory Tissot
And I would say you're right!
DeleteYour mystery plant at the bottom certainly looks like burdock. I have many unpleasant memories of trying to untangle the burrs from shoelaces, clothes and dogs. Very easy to understand how it was the inspiration for velcro.
ReplyDeleteOh my, and it looked so pretty and innocent to me!
DeleteYep, that plant looks like Arctium minus, or Commmon Burdock. An interesting walkabout.
ReplyDeleteI just wish there would have been turtles...
DeleteI love swampy lush areas like that. Makes me want some gator stew and a cup of sweet tea!
ReplyDeleteI'll pass on the gator stew...have you actually eaten that?
DeleteOh yes. It is actually delicious! I'm not even joking. I went with some friends to the Myakka River state park in Sarasota for some Gator Stew and boiled peanuts a few years ago and loved it. I've also gone for fried gator a few times. Of course I make it a little west coast by requesting some fresh squeezed lemon!
DeleteI once ordered Croc quesadillas, mainly because I was pretty sure they were just pulling my leg, I think it was really chicken. Still, they were good! You're a brave man going for stew, all sorts of things could be hidden in there! Same for fried, I've had people tell me they'd eat fried shoes...because everything is good fried. Yuck.
Deleteneat park I love the sweet peas
ReplyDeleteThey were perfect...couldn't have planted prettier ones in my garden.
DeleteBurdock volunteered for my garden last year. Once I found out what it was I was warned about it too. Wonderful leaves though. I dug it out it it's second year, digging down a foot. There were plenty of roots left deeper than that, but it hasn't yet bounded back.
ReplyDeleteA foot? Wow. That's pretty serious, glad to hear it isn't haunting you!
DeleteQuite a change to see you feature a more 'naturalistic garden' (a different term escapes my mind at the moment). The lovely foliage plant halfway through is a Petasites palmatus, can be naughty but find it easy enough to control here :)
ReplyDeleteYep...every once and awhile I girls got to get out and experience a little "nature"...
DeletePetasites palmatus, I wonder if someone planted it, or it's a native. I feel a little research coming on.
After seeing the beaver damage, I wondered if the wire mesh on the wooden walk is to keep beavers from gnawing it.
ReplyDeleteDoes everyone have one of those signs and places? Here our family joke is the several signs marking a nearby historic adobe site, only when you go looking for the site, you can't find it. There's nothing--only the signs. We've decided to find that wonderfully amusing.
Hey...that could be! Although the edges were left bare, and isn't that where they would start?
DeleteI love your story of the signs...I wonder if the whole thing is a joke, or if it was once there?
The ponds do look a lot like those you would find in east Texas in the summer. Those sweet pea flowers are pretty.
ReplyDeleteAre yours thick with mosquitoes?
DeleteWow!!! Some cool finds. Love the beaver tree....just like you see in the cartoons:) Glad the mosquitoes weren't too bad. I have been severely bitten up over the weekend and am now healing. Thanks for your trek into the woods. Very pretty area. Love the willow and wish this kind grew here as well.
ReplyDeleteI can only say for sure that there weren't mosquitoes because my husband wasn't attacked. I'm one of those lucky ones that they completely ignore...
DeleteWillows are such a romantic tree to me. There was a huge one in the front of the house I spent my early years in, and a park in my hometown that was thick with them, all with long branches disappearing into the water. So lovely...
Beautiful pictures! I was gonna say that plant looks like rhubarb - but seems the consensus is burdock. Either way, they look A LOT alike!
ReplyDeleteYes they do, I thought the same at first!
DeleteNow I know what Whitaker Ponds are, thank you! We are rich in natural areas in Portland. Thanks also for the wild sweet pea shot: I enjoy seeing them everywhere they are allowed to grow. I'd love to see turtles in the ponds but they don't seem to be a local feature...have you ever seen one here? I bet it's too cold most of the time.
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome! Great point about turtles here...I was told that there used to be turtles at The Grotto, but I haven't seen them.
DeleteI'm lobbying for the slough for our yearly canoe outing. I hear it's a great paddle, and what's a little muck, as long as we don't fall in.
ReplyDeleteSee that's what I've said in the past...but I'm a bit of a klutz and if anyone could accidently fall in it would be me. The idea just makes me want to go take a shower right now!
DeleteI just Googled "wooly burdock" and yep. Interestingly my hubby and I went on a forest hike recently and I saw the same leaves and wondered about them. I thought considering they're native and obviously not thirsty, (they were growing on the top of a hill) maybe this would be a nice addition to the garden. I even saw a few flower buds like I see on some of the images I Googled. It is indeed a cool plant but, from a distance only I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteI love that wild areas like Whitaker are left alone other than providing trails for hiking. This looks like a wonderful place to clear your head.
Your comment on my blog gave me the inspiration I needed to write a title for my current post, which I neglected to do last night. (September: The New August) So thank you very much.
Yay! I'm so glad your running with the September as the new August campaign. Next year...t-shirts and stickers!
DeleteWow, that looks beautiful! I had no idea that existed--thank you!
ReplyDeleteLove that red container garden! Oh, Wooly Dock - I weed that out every day, and my poor dogs in the fall! Love this post!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can find turtles in the Smith-Bybee Lakes park: Most visitors to the lakes can find beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, osprey, bald eagles, and one of the largest remaining populations of Western painted turtles in Oregon. Access to the wildlife area is either by the Interlakes Trail - a paved, accessible trail that includes two wildlife viewing platforms - or by non-motorized boat. There is a canoe launch area as well as restrooms, interpretive displays, a covered shelter, parking for 40 cars, a bus drop-off, and public art.
ReplyDeleteIt's burdock...a useful herb but go order from Mountain Rose Herbs, you don't want this plant on your place the burs are horrible! Have spent countless hours combing them out of our horses' manes :)
ReplyDelete