Camas, Mount Rainier's Gift

Day 222: Several varieties of native Camas grow on the prairies of southwestern Washington where they were a dietary staple for the indigenous people, and when I lived on the prairie, I looked forward to seeing their blue flowers rising above the early spring grass each year. However, once you get away from the lowlands, you do not see them, so I purchased a a dozen bulbs at my favorite nursery and added them to my flowerbed. They have multiplied quite nicely, and now I have a dense patch about two feet in diameter.

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."