Gentians in October

October has been for the Gentians. I began finding them around the first and for a couple of weeks I searched for other varieties and other flowers. I found out just recently that there is another Genitian similar to the common Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii ). Closed Bottle Gentian (Gentiana clausa) is said to have no fringe or ruffle at the tip while Bottle Gentian has some fringe just visible. Despite finding several different locations for Gentian, I could not conclusively say that I saw two different ones.

#304- Bottle Gentian  
These seem to have been forced open by bees and was found along the tree line.

These were deeper in the woods at another location

I recently received an iPhone 5 and have been taking a few pictures to see if it is a good back up camera. I have been pleased so far. This picture was taken with it. 

 

So, on Sunday (in between church services) I went to a nice location for Spring ephemerals to see what I could find now.  It is along the New River National River  and is called Bluestone State Park. There is a nice trail along the Bluestone River called the Bluestone Turnpike, an old wagon road from the 1800's. There were plenty of Goldenrod and Asters but nothing new. But, I am transitioning from finding as many wildflowers as I can in one year to just writing about and photographing the natural wonders of West Virginia.

Village of Lilly Cementary

 When I moved from along the river to up on a ridge, I came across this old cemetery. The stones with dates were from 1907 and 1913. And most of the others were only slabs of rock to mark graves. This is the site of the village of Lilly which was uprooted and moved during construction of the Bluestone Dam. It was anticipated that the village would be covered by water. Family homes, stores and some graves were relocated, but the water never reached the main village. All that is left is stone foundations and walls and occasional grave sites. 

It was a beautiful day and spent a couple of hours just moping around, knowing cold weather is almost here. At one point I came down into this 'holler' with steep cliffs on each side and wet. When I stepped on the rock that made the seasonal stream bed, I did a split, and I am not made to split. One leg folded under me and a stretched muscle was the only damage, but my wife's parting comment rang in my ears, "One day your going to break a leg and no one will ever find you." Well, not today.

#305- Late Purple Aster

The only flower I found in the woods was this one. I believe it is the Late Purple Aster based on these characteristics: 

Bloom Time
Clasping Leaves
Pubescent Stem and leaves
Low number of rays on flower

Fall along the Bluestone River

Late Blackberries

Fall has been mild so far (10-15-13), 

no frost as of yet and the

 leaves are just turning. I actually still have Blackberries getting ripe. They are a variety that sets fruit twice a year and I still get two or three a day.

 But, the weather forecast has changed, we are expecting highs in the 50's for the rest of the week and frost can't be far off. 

One year ago , just before Halloween, we had a freak snowstorm with over two feet of snow. Me and the grandbabies built snowmen on Halloween day and this was my Pumpkin,  you can see the snow.

There is a lot to look forward in the remainder 

of  this year,  but there is some melancholy as well.

 The following quote captures some of that. 

“You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason.” 

― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast