Our challenge this week was to locate night blooming plants – of particular – the Evening Primrose. This was another week in the Outdoor Hour Challenge that I had regretted taking the flora and fauna for granted on the high desert!  Our back yard had many of these!

Sigh.  I called neighbors, asked around – but no one knew of one.  There was a night blooming white lily near the cat tails – but I didn’t want to stand on the road at night and wait for it it open. . . .

Then – this past week – we were driving to town – Mind You – We live in a very touristy town, two lane traffic to gather in all of the beach goers from Portland and Salem – Sigh – We are going about 2 miles an hour – tops – when I SPOT IT!!! Oh Holy Mother of Sightings!  But we were in the turtle line of traffic, with no camera. I almost shoved a kid out the window and told him to take it with my cell phone camera. . . . But. Of course I wouldn’t want to drive back through the turtle line. . . I mean, that would have been mean. And um. Pointless for nature study. Right. Right. No, You’re right. . . . .

But it made for good conversation – and a quick shout and point as we’d drive by the past week.

THEN! (oh the lengths I go for you Barb! – True Sacrifice here baby!)

I’m walking along the beach line in Newport, Oregon, marveling at a length of beach new to me – shooting the Yaquina Head Lighthouse – When I put my camera down and almost knocked over an Evening Primrose Plant!

I pulled the weeds away from the little sweet thing, called the boys who were picnicking by the car – Screaming my Head Off in Joy – as I gush over such a beautiful specimen. I Tell the boys that in Central Oregon they were tall, gangly, a bit different, but I’m sure this is a little one. Nate – in his best middle school mocking voice that tells me I’m a hyper moron – says – Like this One?

YES! YES YES!!!  It was RIGHT BEHIND ME!  I would have missed it for trying to capture the silly ol light house!

Never did cut through the foggy mist to get a great shot at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.  But – I did have a happy dance on the walk way. And in my head – you were all there with me – well. Ya. You were standing with Nathan shaking your head cheeks pink with embarrassment – but still. You were there. 🙂

We spent the last couple of weeks talking about night blooming flowers, the types in our area.  The boys are interested in having a sit out to watch one of these open.  I have memories as a child watching flowers open on my grandparents place. They would bring us out at just the right moment. I never could figure out how they knew?? Spending the time to know what these “weeds” are is amazing to me. Appreciating what is around us at this level will continue to help my “green” phase of chemical free living. 🙂

Want to know what the rest of the non crazy crowd actually “learned” about the evening primrose – follow the links at the bottom of the Handbook of Nature Study Page for Summer – Evening Primrose. 🙂