Friday, September 23, 2011

No More Arguing . . . Until Next Spring

When I was a kid, maybe 9 years old or so, I received a copy of Verna Pratt's Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers. I'd tramp through the woods in Haines, Alaska, collecting specimens of ferns and blossoms and grasses to take home, where I would carefully place them on paper toweling. I'd flip through the pages of my field guide until I found a matching picture of the forget-me-not or dogwood or chocolate lily, and copy its name onto the bottom edge of the paper towel. I'd cover each sample with another sheet of paper toweling, then gently lay the encased flowers between the pages of a heavy book to press them. I'm sure my mother's come across countless dried sprigs in her dictionary over the years.

The downside of my process is that I misidentified pushki. To my young eye, it matched the picture of Queen Ann's Lace, and to this day I automatically refer to cow parsnip as Queen Ann's Lace. On our evening strolls, I will argue with my husband until I'm blue in the face that no, that is not pushki, that is Queen Ann's Lace. He's right, of course, it is pushki, but I won't admit it. I kind of enjoy seeing him getting all worked up, as he provides example after example of how he knows without a doubt that IT'S PUSHKI. He tells me about the childhood battles he and his little buddies fought in the fields around Homer, Alaska, using stalks of pushki as swords. He reminds me that he received a degree in biology, which ought to count for something. He'll admit a similarity may exist between the two, but then point out the differences between pushki and Queen Ann's lace. Whatever.

I'd take this Queen Ann's Lace home to press, 
but I don't think I have a book that is big enough.
Also, it's kind of dead.
(And it's not Queen Ann's Lace, but you didn't hear it from me.)



Dinner last night: veggie pizza

Exactly one year ago:

Exactly two years ago:

Exactly three years ago:


6 comments:

LisaDay said...

We also have giant hogweed, which also looks like Queen Anne's Lace but is much more evil.

LisaDay

Anonymous said...

I totally won't have known the difference even with a book.

Betsy Brock said...

I've heard that Alaska is gorgeous! :) I don't think we have pushki here! It does look a lot like queen anne's lace!

Claudya Martinez said...

Very funny. I love that you keep arguing the point.

Anonymous said...

You are so right about sand and water. JDaniel was so happy in both.

Traci Marie Wolf said...

Great story. I think my husband's on your team, the team that argues just to see the other team get worked up. Lol