Well, using vi after using vim is killing me, since I never was a power vi user so we'll see how long I keep up the text....

Plus, I don't have my favorite photos ready.

Rosa and I went to the Ochocos in mid-June 2001. She's my hiking partner, though she doesn't find the plants half as interesting as I do.

It was in the low to mid 90's every day. A little hot for a middle aged dog, even one with Rosa's stamina, so she sought the shade. Here she is resting at our solstice campsite, probably hoping for a second dinner.

Out west lives North America's only native peony: Paeonia brownii and the Ochocos provide optimal habitat for her. We saw more peony than you can shake a stick at. We did miss peak bloom, having been in the Siskiyous the week before. Last year we were in the Ochocos for peak bloom and so we reminded ourselves there is always next year.

Obviosly, I need a better camera lens for all these flower photos. But, if you're a peony fan (I am) you might want to see a peony flower or fruit. Well, the flowers are not at all showy compared to our garden varieties. But, the colors are de rigueur. Greens, yellows and warm, antiquey red-browns. Nothing could be more stunning.

I promise better photos when I get to the Ochocos at the right time with a better lens!

We also came across incredible stands of Cypripedium montanum, the lovely Mountain Lady's slipper. For you orchid fans she is one of our native beauts.

No, we won't tell you where we saw them...they're too special, to put them at that kind of risk. We don't want them to go anywhere, do we?

Here's another photo.

And if you like reading dense government documents concerning plant management issues here's a little something

So this is another orchid, a Platanthera (used to be known as, I think, Habenaria). Their common name is Bog Orchid as that is where you will find them. These smell faintly of honey or something sweet. Don't count on me to know the species but I think it is P. dilatata.

One of my personal favorites are the Eriogonums. Don't ask me why. I don't know why. Something about their lovely sulphur yellow and creamy white to green heads? Their tendency to form dense little desert mats?

Anyhowse I tried to actually key some out and this only showed me how little I know. Well, maybe I'll put up some of my guesses and maybe I won't.

Buckwheats, the eriogonums, gotta love them.

And that's all for now.