Rabbitbrush
“Behind the simple appearance of rubber rabbitbrush lies a secret – it was used by Native American tribes and early settlers to make rubber and chewing gum! Additionally, its bright yellow flowers provide bees and butterflies with valuable nectar and pollen later in the year. Not only that, rubber rabbitbrush could also have a role in our energy future since it shows promise as an alternative biofuel source. But this plant isn’t just serving human needs. Thanks to its fast growth and tough nature, rubber rabbitbrush often is one of the first plants to appear in areas affected by wildfires, taking over before more invasive weeds can establish. In doing so, this plant also helps restore soil fertility over time. — PictureThis
Note: To conserve packing space, I’d decided to take my older Olympus OM-1 MK1 as my primary camera for our recent trip to Colorado. It’s the same camera I used for our RVing travels ten years ago. Two days after this photo was taken, I accidentally hooked the camera strap while moving my backpack, which dragged the camera off a short coffee table and onto our room’s carpeted floor. The mounted 14-40mm F2.8 lens struck the outer edge, tearing the lens body mostly from its mounting ring and ripping apart much of the lens’s built-in electronics — totaled. Luckily, the camera body wasn’t damaged. ☹
First of all, I love the photo! And secondly, I did not know that about rabbitbrush. A lesson learned. Keep me informed on the purchase of a replacement lens or not.
Thanks, Monte. We’d stopped at Coyote Ride Natural Area before meeting you for lunch that first day. At that time, I didn’t even know what rabbitbrush was, much less this additional information…but, as Bonnie says, inquiring minds want to know. 😉
I hope to replace the lens, but since it’s a backup camera, I’ll be watching the used market for a reasonable replacement. I can’t justify a new one for a backup camera at this time.
I hope your blog-host move is going or has gone well.
Ouch! I’ve bounced my camera around enough times but never totaled any part of it. Hope by now you’ve put things back together.
I’ve certainly bounced cameras around myself over the years. This was such an unseemly short fall that I didn’t even think much of it until I picked up the camera and saw the lens at a forty-five-degree angle. It hasn’t been replaced yet; I’m still shopping the used market. It is an Olympus Pro lens that is not often traded in.