Wild Flowers at the Foot of Mt Gulugod Baboy

I just realized i have not been blogging the whole Christmas Holidays. It is not because i did not want to but our internet connection in the province is too weak, besides it seems work in the province while you are supposed to be on vacation is real endless. One work pile on top of another. After finishing one, there is again another which you have been thinking to do for so many months. And of course, my camera hasn't been working too. Only my hoyas get more of my attention. They are seemingly in the downside, flowers are very seldom seen these colder months, so my camera is resting too, also on holidays.

My sisters and niece suddenly wished to climb our backyard mountain, Mt Gulugod Baboy, Mabini, Batangas. Imagine, one of my sisters hasn't been there! So that night we arranged for a tricycle which now can bring people near the peak. A couple of years ago, it was still a longer hike of about 30-40 minutes from the end of the road. It is now friendly to us who are not as agile as we used to be. It now takes only about 10 min hike to the top, following a different path than we used to. (I will have a separate post about this climb). On the way home from the mountain, it was already an easy downward walk, tricycles not needed anymore. 

 Mt Gulugod Baboy (Pig Spine), viewed from the west approach is not as tall as from the East. But it is more friendly at this side. Those two figures are my 2 sisters, and i always lag behind because of so many photo subjects on the way.

It is usually foggy in the early mornings during these colder months, today the fog disappeared at 10:00 am, when we set to leave. Cows are tethered in these areas, as grasses are plenty this time.

Roadsides are teeming with these white daisy-like flowers with golden centers. Bees and butterflies are plenty too.

close-up of the daisy-like flowers, ID i still dont know

This white flowers are also plenty, becoming more like bushes

They are loved by butterflies and bees but not by animals

Neptis mindorana ilocana

a grove of blue porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

Catopsilia pyranthe pyranthe

Those spikes are lovely when still green, but eventually they turn brown during the dry season, when fruits dehisce and conquer other land patches.

 zinnia  that might have attached to some hikers shoes, eventually finding their lives here

 This celosia has very minute seeds, so easy to be carried elsewhere, no wonder they 

find habitat at the foot of the mountain

This Impatiens balsamina is also a domesticated flower, but somewhat invasive with their small seeds. We don't have this in our garden, so my sisters gather some mature pods for home. We only have the single petaled violet and white at home. Next year this pink will also be seen with them.

Wildflower Wednesday

Nature Notes

Our World Tuesday

Outdoor Wednesday