I walked further into the woods as light continued to fade. Along with me came my small Canon SX110 IS and a spotlight that would feel like a ton by the end of tonight's walk.  The spotlight had a quick-squeeze trigger I thought I could use to find some frogs. On this evening I heard barely a peeper, but there were plenty of other sights and sounds. 

Two summers ago, Jeff and I planted a strip of wild flowers along our then newly acquired bit of woods behind my flower garden. I think it is about fifteen feet long by three feet wide.  We picked a shady mix, cultivated the ground and sowed the seeds. Very few plants came up and none bloomed that year. Last summer we had two or three blooms and almost mowed over the patch but decided to see what would happen if we just let it grow. Well, this summer the strip is full of plants and we've already had some blooms. It is still few enough to count on one hand, but it looks like there will be plenty by July.  One lovely one is a large yellow columbine.

This columbine has a much larger blossom than the pink ones hopping around my garden, surprising me each spring with their chosen spot.  Maybe this yellow one, too will be a dancer, jumping over the stone wall into the garden where it will find good company.

Upon entering the woods I pass a stump of a tree that was cut for timber. Last fall I showed you a fungus growing on that stump and it continues to exude fungi. This golden specimen seems barely attached to its host stump as it juts out from the stump's side. It seems like a bit or two of its flesh has been eaten  but it I would never try it. I can think of a couple college friends that might test out the edibility of this mushroom, but there is a good chance they are no longer among the living, especially if they continued with their lack of discernment.

My attention was next drawn to this small white flower below. I'm not sure what it is yet since it isn't pictured in my "easy" books. I'll have to search harder in the books with less photos. I do love the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers for its lovely photographs, but so many plants are not pictured.

Do you see the tiny visitor? I didn't notice it until after I took the shot.

In my own garden I like to plant white.  Sometimes the night is the only time left to relax and enjoy my garden.  The daylight hours are spent weeding, planting, replanting and mulching.  As light fades, it becomes to dark to weed. That is when I am thankful for the white plants.  They reflect whatever light is left, almost glowing. And a white garden on a moonlit night . . . . I'll take you along ffor a walk one evening later this summer.

For now, the night path pulled me forward. What else will we find?