Prominent wildflowers were Oregon sunshine, syringa, and elderberry. The syringa (Philadelpius lewisii) pictured today is the Idaho state flower. The wood of this plant was used as arrow shaft as it is hard and did not warp when properly prepared. It was also used to make knitting needles. The leaves and flowers, when rubbed, form a lather that the natives used for cleaning the skin.
In the wildlife category, a Lewis' woodpecker was sighted today. This pink-breasted small bird was first described by the Lewis & Clark expedition.
We lunched at China Bar after a visit to Dug Bar -- the site where Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce crossed the river on their forced exodus from their homeland. The U.S. Army ordered them from their Wallowa Valley in 1877. It is certainly encouraging to see the canyon that a few short years ago was covered with cheat grass (an indicator of overgrazing) is returning to the native bunchgrasses and wheatgrass. It is a definite indication that the canyon habitat is on the mend. Another encouraging sign is that freshwater clams are abundant, meaning the water is still relatively unpolluted. The clams are clean water indicators, similar to the way lichens are clean air indicators.
