Legend tells us that Mount Olympus (the highest peak in Washington's Olympic Mountains) had two wives, one of whom was very jealous of the other. One day, she decided to leave. She packed a basket with foodstuffs and set out walking. By the time she reached southwest Washington, she was tired and hungry, so she rested there for a while and ate. When she started on her way again, she left behind a few bulbs of Camas. That was how the Camas prairies came to be. As for the jealous wife, she continued inland until she found a spot where she wanted to make her home. She spread out her skirts and settled there, and today, we call the jealous wife by the name of "Mount Rainier."
365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Camas, Mount Rainier's Gift
Legend tells us that Mount Olympus (the highest peak in Washington's Olympic Mountains) had two wives, one of whom was very jealous of the other. One day, she decided to leave. She packed a basket with foodstuffs and set out walking. By the time she reached southwest Washington, she was tired and hungry, so she rested there for a while and ate. When she started on her way again, she left behind a few bulbs of Camas. That was how the Camas prairies came to be. As for the jealous wife, she continued inland until she found a spot where she wanted to make her home. She spread out her skirts and settled there, and today, we call the jealous wife by the name of "Mount Rainier."
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