First you may wonder what the heck is a Shoofly? Well, ever since I first came across the dirt track called Shoofly Cutoff branching off Mudflat Road south of Boise, I’ve pondered the name. I looked in vain for history related to Shoofly Road, but all I found was Shoofly Mine in the nearby Owyhee Mountains, Shoofly Reservoir, and Shoofly Canal—all of which I assume derived their names from the mine.
columbiatribune.com
But I also discovered that there is a Shoo Fly plant, sometimes referred to as the Apple of Peru (Nicandra physalodes), which supposedly repels insects. And then there is Shoofly Pie, a Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy made with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, which looks quite tasty. Oh, and then there’s the Shoofly Rocker for children, with a seat supported between a pair of flat cutouts of horses, swans, or whatever the crafter is crafty enough to carve.
Okay, but how about Oolites, you ask? The word ooid is Greek for egg. Oolites are formations of sedimentary limestone that have encapsulated individual grains of sand to form white, eggshell-shaped spheres. Ooids form in shallow, warm, water, where wave action is gentle but constant. The Shoofly Oolites are a reminder of late Pleistocene Lake Idaho which once covered most of southern Idaho. It is one of the largest freshwater oolite lake beds in the world. As water drained from Lake Idaho, the limestone eroded creating fascinating shapes that are still worked on by rain and wind erosion.
So many cool hidey holes
The Pandemic hug
A rock with a view – Owyhee Mountains in the distance
View from the top
A rock garden
This formation is a demonstration of erosion in action
Oh, Cousin Itt, fancy meeting you here!
Rangewriter 
Linda, great names of things. I love the picture “Rock with a view.” I was about to say, “oolites” would be a great Scrabble word to empty your tray, but would not get many points. Thanks for the story and footage. Now, I have hankering for Shoofly pie. Keith
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Have you ever had it, Keith? I’d never even heard of it before.
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Linda, my wife said we have had it, but she recalls she did not care for the molasses part. I remember the name, but don’t remember whether I liked it a lot or a little. Keith
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That’s funny. I probably wouldn’t care too much for the molasses part either.
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Great summary of oolites. The geology of Southern Idaho is very interesting. I did field work in Owyhee County 5 years ago and the BLM oolites interpretive trail is the first place the BLM ecologist took me to as we continued on Mud Flat Road south to our plots. I was just there a few months ago when we did Little Jacks Creek hike. It’s equally interesting to learn about the history of names and a place.
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I bet you have vast understanding of this geological formation. I felt a little nervous trying to explain their historical background with my piddly layman’s knowledge. Glad I didn’t screw it up too badly. 😉
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The natural beauty of the world is remarkable! Your pics remind me of that. I’m sadden by the mindset of some, especially our political leaders who want to conquer nature instead of living in harmony with it. Whenever I take a trip out west, it’s mindboggling to realize so much of the well-chiseled stones got that way during a time when these area were covered with water. Now, the land is arid.
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Yes, evidence of ancient floods is visible all over parts of the west. The geological history of the area is fascinating.
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Are there Owyhee pies available in that part of the country too?
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Not that I’m aware of. Although I’d betcha that there’s some grandma from the area who bakes amazing pies and whose family calls them Owyhee pies. 😉 There’s also a funny history behind the name of the Owyhee mountains. I’ve read slightly different versions of a story that involves 3 miners (silver, I think) from the Hawaiian Islands who went mining in those mountains in the 1860s and got lost. They were never found. The name Owhyee came down through the years as a regional dialect of Hawaii.
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All I knew prior was a song my mother sang in the 50’s: “Shoofly pie & apple pan dowdy, makes your eyes light up, your tummy say ‘howdy’. Shoofly pie & apple pan dowdy. I never get enough of that wonderful stuff. Mama, when you bake, Mama, don’t make cake, Mama for my sake, go to the oven and bake some ever-lovin’ Shoofly pie & apple pan dowdy…..” Never did understand it, but had a catchy tune. Your mention is the first I’ve heard of “Shoofly” since then. Thank you. Memories!
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Funny. I did see mention of Shoofly pie in a folksy ditty and also sort of a jump rope ditty. Never saw reference to the words, though. Cool.
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Amazing! What wonderful words – and super pics. Thank you.
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Thank you, Catherine, I’m glad I could entertain you.
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Wow, those are amazing formations – with a weird name, to say the least.
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Old man time has had eons to shape these strange guys.
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The photo of those daisies blossoming on what looks like stone is simply beautiful.
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Thank you, Robert. Those little daisies are actually blooming in the sand that lies between the stones. (I would assume that sand once comprised the stones…) The unexpected beauty of spring blooms in the desert is always a treat.
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It’s a surprise and a delight.
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This post is just building on my desire to spend more time in the Owyhee. Thank you for sharing!
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It’s especially nice there in the spring, before the brutal summer sun bakes the color out of the landscape.
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