Meeting Notes

Are we all here? I call this meeting to order.

Chair’s Remarks: Today’s pictures are all courtesy of The Google. Thanks, fellow humans with cameras!

Agenda Item 1. The Red Berries

I saw these guys on a run several weeks ago, and I’m seeing more of them crop up along a dirt road about a half mile from our house. Oh Joy! They are red baneberry (Actaea rubra).

Parents of small children: you know how it’s standard Parental Policy to warn your kids about Not Eating Red Berries? Turns out this is a good policy. Two of these can be fatal to a little kid. Trained herbalists will know all sorts of useful things you can do with this plant; since I’m not an herbalist, let’s just leave it that this one’s not a good snack food.

Agenda Item 2. false solomon seal berries

Here is a great example of things getting even cooler, when you look closely.

Now, isn’t this lovely? These clusters of golden berries? Watch what happens when you lean in closely:

They’re kind of speckled! I believe they eventually go entirely red. I laughed out loud when I saw this.

Agenda Item 3. trillium seed pods

Y’all remember trillium?

These were among the first wildflowers to get going this spring. And, as I never tire of telling small children, lean in and get a good whiff of that flower. Mmmmm…smells like rotting meat. Tasty.

On a run last week I was beyond-delighted to come across some trillium that had gone to seed. Naturally, I had no camera, and besides, I’m mad at our camera anyway, so here goes with the stolen borrowed pictures:

Agenda Item 4. The Spider 

This beauty is hanging out inside our screened-in porch. Apparently it’s a Pisaurina mira.

My spider policy is simple. If you are outside the house, you are a beautiful creature of god, and I salute you. If you are inside the house, you are food for the vacuum cleaner.

Meeting adjourned 6:20 pm.