Sunday, July 12, 2020
My friend, Buzz, and I met to catch up with each other’s recent doings. We wanted me to re-meet his puppy, Ziva. Many years ago, I had a red Dobie, loved and showed her competitively. I’ve an eye for the breed and Buzz’s Ziva is a knockout. He’s crazy about her.
We wandered through a nearby BLM with an irrigation canal running through and watched as Ziva tried estimating water-depths. She wanted to dive in but felt too timid. When next I meet Ziva, she’ll be responding wholeheartedly to water spots.
Coming home, I saw a text from my friend, Judy. She rode with me at Horse Butte and knew my struggles to define and perhaps map a scenic horse-trail route. Judy’s husband, Greg, a map and GPS whiz, was willing to teach me how to define my trail’s key points. Coincidentally, the evening before, Susie had prepped me on waypoints and mapping, and now, I had a keener ear for Greg’s explanations.
We decided to test Greg’s GPS by going to a nearby large canal. I’ve long wished for a way of crossing to its opposite side where a road looks as if it would accommodate my horse and cart for driving. We found a spot to view the canal, when Greg’s GPS revealed a bridge nearby. We followed the GPS to that area and to a road that appeared to be private property. But it allowed public access and led to a bridge crossing the canal. On its other side were private properties, and on our side a perfectly-nice canal road–a lovely avenue for walking, and next spring for driving a horse.
On the private property side stunning flowers punctuated the waterway. We found ourselves in a lovely spot with plantings and artifacts from days long gone by.
Those lovelies all created a joyous day with friends Buzz, Judy, and Greg. We love animals, we’re adventurers who explore, who share knowledge and skills. Moreover sites nearby and previously unknown are beautiful, interesting, and inviting more and closer-looks here on Bend’s east side.
Dear Friends: I see now how to define path and points, to map “Diana’s Route” at Horse Butte. Diana
Diana's Morning Blog 
The flowers are Lychnis chalcedonica, sometimes called rose campion, but that name is probably more commonly used for a related species Lychnis coronaria which has puce or white flowers borne singly instead of bunches and fuzzy silver green leaves. The deep scarlet flowered species is probably better known around here as Maltese Cross. I’ve never seen it naturalized around here outside of gardens, but both have been naturalized in my yard for decades. L. chalcedonica is a real magnet for hummingbirds and tiger swallowtails! Pollinators like Rose Campion as well. And I think the seeds serve well as food for birds.
I have lots of seed of both, if you have an area that gets some water and want to try them and also have starts of Maltese Cross. Both are perineal, but easy to pull out or move if they show up where you don’t want them. They are both in bloom in the yard now.
LikeLike