Why I ♥ Virginia

Woke about 8 a.m to a gorgeous morning.  I'd been wanting to take some photos of the roadside flowers so I got up, got dressed, grabbed my camera and headed out the door.  These wildflowers that grow along the roadside where I live are just one of the many reasons I love Virginia.   I work in the city about 40 miles away, but I can drive back to see this every single day.  No, I don't live in the country, but there are still small open spots of meadow where farms used to be.  And they let the wildflowers grow without mowing them down.  Let's go and see them together.

Aren't they beautiful?  The gorgeous blue flowers are Chicory (Cichorium intybus).  It's edible, and from what I've read, they use the roots to make a coffe-like drink.  It reminds me of my childhood where I grew up.  There loads of open fields where I grew up in upstate New York, and these gorgeous flowers were a sign of summer along with the milkweed plants that grew everywhere.  Here are some more photos I took.

And here is beautiful Queen Anne.  I love this wildflower.  If you look closely, you can see the little dark spot in the center.

Can you see the small red heart in the center of this beautiful umbel?

I heard a hawk somewhere overhead as I walked along the roadside and happened to see my friend the Redtail flying over, screeching.  

After I took these photos, I headed over to the farmer's market and bought some croissants for breakfast.  Yummm!!  I can't think of a better way to start the day than spending some time with nature and ending my morning with fresh-baked goodness.   I'm going to go back out tomorrow with my scissors and cut some of this free bounty and bring it home.  Hope your weekend was just as wonderful!