Flowers on the Alaska Peninsula

 
When Ryan met me on at our Penguq dig on the Alaska Peninsula, he brought our digital SLR camera. He had the foresight to invest in a great waterproof case for it too!  While it was a bit of a struggle to keep the camera clean in a camp full of people who work in the dirt, I am very glad Ryan brought it and that we had the chance to take these photos.
Despite being trapped on a mosquito-infested island, there was beauty all around us. By the time we left in July, it was the height of wildflower season. The top two photos are of wild geraniums and the bottom photo is a lupine. We had a great plant identification book – which I had plenty of time to read on rainy days. Something that always strikes me when I read plant identification books is that almost all wild plants have some sort of food or medicinal use. It does make me miss living in Kodiak where you can collect wild plants and berries right in your yard. I learned from the book that nagoonberry blossom petals are edible. There were quite a few of them at Penguq and they taste like candy!