This past weekend was Earth Day, and I'm convinced that Spring may actually be coming. While we still had chilly blustery weather here in NW Montana, the rain was kind enough to wait until after we'd had our Saturday adventure to start falling.
Our little cottage is right in the woods outside of Eureka Montana. When it comes to abundant and available dyestuff, Fir cones are at the top of the list. While our forest is a mixed mostly conifer forest, at our altitude sub-alpine fir reign supreme ( there are also the occasional lodgepole, tamarack, ponderosa, and cedar - my Dad was a dendrophile - what can I say? It rubbed off on me.) Each of these different species attract and interact with different lichens and fungi in beautiful symbiotic relationships - but that's a story for another blog.