Today I went for a walk and looked for what nature has to offer now. The bud period is more or less over and there are flowers now taking over.


![20220521_101453a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EouAgrvpKuj4yy3DHK8ncjhNV2DLvTfF5LGicP2kc5GrG7Ux41Em6FC8jfKxPPEaEjb.jpg)

These flowers look like roses but are not roses. I've known this flower all my life and have no idea what it is called. Ok, after some difficulties (related to internet and laptop most likely), I was able to find out it's a [rosa canina, commonly known as the dog rose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_canina)

![20220521_101428a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23vsN2scYtZre2hEVjzwqWaDEi8zXup6N1DvbbmnJBHH3nZHwvKvqA8ve3VYkLpp9xKXg.jpg)

Looks like this delicate beauty is opening the season, after the spring flowers like tulips, narcissus and forget-me-not. 

![20220521_101507a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EoptutdikTCvB2QJ31AXiUXcR7ojT9SqqK7VHjrj91KMjY1LcoyX43s6mko2q5FbTBQ.jpg)
 

![20220521_101519a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/Eoke1WDHwCQfEEJV2iicwzncp7PJiMeu4zjwaKgTTsX5rYiiXyY6Tzei5CxXmJ6rNHy.jpg)


<center><img src="https://images.hive.blog/DQmfDaSmTz3y8oavngRrr5mmVhrTXheYoEU4qhGUS7pq3xh/HiveDivider.png"></center>

![20220521_101819a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23wC7ZdWeU3xUKszjQomwiNjDzH5KZ9MA491nPHrW84mW8zXdFGUgvYns1kcuLukQyRUg.jpg)

Next is this pine, that again, I have no idea what kind of pine it is. We usually call pine, the other type, the Christmas tree type pine 😀. 

>Thuja occidentalis, also known as northern white-cedar, eastern white-cedar, or arborvitae, is an evergreen coniferous tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is native to eastern Canada and much of the north-central and northeastern United States. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis)

![20220521_101902a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EoGxUE9Z3yx3EH83Qs8TrFqcp3jJvpHzrycPtkaiCphQJ7DSBH5YSPADXhPFz19KW7y.jpg)

Google is my friend and tells me this is Thuja occidentalis. The funny thing is I've known about thuja all my life and I still can't recognize it. Now I have to keep this in mind and learn from it. 

![20220521_101835a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/EoK5H8v16FobjNkhZwiVRmVXn4MsH2bWWqiVDygATwgsZuQtXNwbSp4QTDfePZkx2qP.jpg)

So you may be wondering what are these small things. Well, these are the cones, that are still green at this time of the year and will become brown, once dry. 

![20220521_101844a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23tSSNsSvG9Q85F56CszQRZ5cBrfo5rPt1vdvSu2JdxVE9XNUvGekBbzja2xVr4sZ6w3E.jpg)

>Thuja occidentalis is a tree with important uses in traditional Ojibwe culture. Honored with the name Nookomis Giizhik (Grandmother Cedar), the tree is the subject of sacred legends and is considered a gift to humanity for its myriad of uses, among them crafts, construction, and medicine. It is one of the four plants of the Ojibwe medicine wheel, associated with the north. The foliage is rich in vitamin C and is believed to be the annedda, which cured the scurvy of Jacques Cartier and his party in the winter of 1535–1536.] Due to the presence of the neurotoxic compound thujone, internal use can be harmful if used for prolonged periods or while pregnant. [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis)

<center><img src="https://images.hive.blog/DQmfDaSmTz3y8oavngRrr5mmVhrTXheYoEU4qhGUS7pq3xh/HiveDivider.png"></center>

![20220521_103815a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23xpEicpYtmFpEpetcbPq4PwjG2VXrCDmxaBHbteZMVFDJtDEHHqP5y4gCaZdvuMFVhRL.jpg)

The good news is that the elder flower has started to open. For me it was a pleasure to see it as I'm always collecting as much as I can. It's perfect for tea during winter and elderberry syrup, which is like a soda, made of elderberry flower, sugar or honey and lemon. 


![20220521_103813a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23xVPg3FGjjHXCshygJsrBsVXExBwRjoiAzJjBoMb4NyiHzxHwPoWAyoVUsR4RVRsaC72.jpg)

Elderberry syrup is very common in my country and I believe in Hungary too. There's a place where pollution is minimal, so I'm planning to fill my bags this year and make some syrup for winter. 


<center><img src="https://images.hive.blog/DQmfDaSmTz3y8oavngRrr5mmVhrTXheYoEU4qhGUS7pq3xh/HiveDivider.png"></center>

Last, but not least, I wanted to shoot some rose buds, which are still very tiny, but are already growing. 

![20220521_101542a.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/erikah/23zS7kooy6UBNBiB67pDuny1jDwNCgUjeoAKQymMuTdbA6dcgE7nkeM8bqEh3aRQAzJRA.jpg)

When I came home and downloaded the photos to my laptop, I saw there there are insects on this tiny bud. It is not a good sign as it can be very damaging to the flower, but I can still use the photo as @livinguktaiwan was begging me for some insect photos since last October or November, but because winter at my part is serious, we didn't have insects as they can't stand -12 - 15C temperatures. So today I'm happy to show her some insects 😂

<center><img src="https://images.hive.blog/DQmfDaSmTz3y8oavngRrr5mmVhrTXheYoEU4qhGUS7pq3xh/HiveDivider.png"></center>

So this is my daily dose of nature. If I were to choose, I like the most the thuja.