The Hymenopterans Have it in for Me.

Two days after the nasty little bee incident I took some time to sit in the warmth (though not the sun) outside at a table and work on my latest crafty project. After drowsing off, waking to find sun creeping up on me, and moving a few times I decided if I wanted a nap, I should just get inside where the sun couldn't chase me. This is relevant because... see when I stood up I was delivered a sharp searing pain to the kneecap. Hissing (one cannot curse while visiting Significant Other's parents, its bad form) in pain I happened to catch a glimpse of the culprit. Flitting under the table in a maddened frenzy was some sort of yellow coated wasp. No doubt I had disturbed it which my sudden decision to stand, and it was defending it's territory.
Lucky for me, I wasn't helping care-take a 3 year old as  I had been when I got stung, and was able to employ some more effective responsive tactics: baking soda paste on the wound, ice pack, knock off Benadryl. And you know what. Its freaking fine! The bee sting is still itchy as a cluster of mosquito bites, but the wasp bite is just fine.
Brandon's stepdad was kind enough to suggest that these things happen in threes. No. I'm done.

Anyway....
Going back in time again.
While Living in Salem I received a care package from my family, which included (among other things) $19 from my mother in 5's and 1's. There was a little sticky note stuck to it that read something like 'get thee to the market'. Yep that's my mother. The next day of my little trip, I stopped in Corvallis to peruse the Farmer's Market, and I found some delectable treats.

 Scrumptious tomatoes, mushrooms, berries, glorious flowers... Just what you want in a Farmer's Market.

Rather proud of my willpower, I'm not very good at saying no when it comes to delicious fruits. 

My real goal was to go hike around on Mary's Peak, the highest peak in the Coastal Range in Oregon. Too bad for me, I was limping from scrabbling around on the dunes the previous day, so I didn't hike much. But that didn't stop me from seeing the flowers...

Here's a nice little cricket on some Starry False Lily of the Valley (What a mouthful! I like Maianthemum stellatum better!).

Load of gorgeous Penstemons all over the place. 

Nature bouquets, all over. The closer to the peak I got, the more flowers I saw.

Some Ceratsium and Delphinium, larkspurs always make me squeal with glee. They're such elegantly silly shaped flowers.

Phlox, Lomatium, paint brushes, larkspur, Penstemons... Heavenly.

More of the same, and whats this? A new lily? Why yes! Erythronium oregonum, Oregon Fawn Lily, doesn't have a solitary flower like other fawn lilies I've seen so far.

Who can say no to some hairy Indian paintbrush? Probably Castilleja hispida 

Mama Nature knows all about complimentary primary colors...

Phlox is just nice. A cute little cluster of flowers.

Xerophyllum tenax better known as bear grass, was just beginning to bloom, much to the delight of some pretty insects (and myself).
On the drive up the mountain there were hundreds, possibly thousands of the marvelous irises (Iris tenax). Damn grand if I do say so myself.

From the top of Mary's Peak on a clear day you can see straight to the ocean, not to mention several of the more notable peaks in the Cascades. I'm not great with mountains, but while eavesdropping I was led to believe you could see Mts Bachelor, Hood, St Helens, Adams, the Three Sisters and a few others. 

Best I could do....

The time not spent muttering to myself about flowers and mountains was chiefly consumed by trying to get a decent picture of the just ONE of the dozens of Fritillaries flitting about. I momentarily saw a little hummingbird.

Got sidetracked by these Blues that look an aweful lot like Fender's.... but are a different subspecies I suspect. 

But I got it! While meandering down from the peak I spotted on landing on a strawberry blossom, and it was still long enough to capture it's minute soul (multiple times) with my top notch camera! Ha!

My goal for the next day was to go to a new beach and investigate what the tide pools might offer. So I drove down the mountain, out to the coast and camped. If you were previously unaware, my truck's name is Bucky, and he's a mighty fine little beast. If you look at him straight on he looks a little animal-like: Headlights are eyes, bumper is a mouth, sideview mirrors are little ears.... you get the picture, its highly irrelevant.
There was a beach quite close to hand where I camped, so I resolved to sit and read until the sun set. It required resolve you see, because it was QUITE windy.
So bundled in most of the clothes I had brought with me, I sat on the beach, tried to read, and drank wine. Sounds like a romantic movie right? Well... it was a little too windy for that nonsense.

In case you think I'm overselling the whole wind thing...

 It was pretty, there's no denying that.

But lo, the sun finally set, and I scurried back to my cozy truck bed to sleep.

Have a Stupendous Sunday!