Yellow Lady Slippers…
I was out late last night, and ended up walking the dog around after midnight last night. It was truly a perfect night…clear and still, with a light fog. The inversion under clear skies trapped the smell of honeysuckle and lilac which hung heavily in the air. As an added bonus, distant lightning occasionally lit up the southern horizon. With sunrises so early, and sunsets rather late…I rarely see the deep evening darkness this time of year. Quite a treat.
Little did I know that I’d be up again a few hours later while the dew still clung to the grass. It’s a curse and a blessing…I simply can’t sleep in. So I packed up and headed out to find some flowers. There are way too many favorites that I haven’t shot yet this year…columbine, star flowers, lady slippers, Solomon seal, lily of the valley, painted trillium, canada mayflower, rose twisted stalk and bunchberry are all out now…ensuring busy shooting ahead, but this morning I was after a new flower. I’ve sought out the NH endangered yellow lady slipper for years, to no avail. Fortunately, a local wildflower garden has a small patch, and I figured before I go on a wild chase for them again this year, I better shoot the known, even if it is cultivated.
The window to shoot this morning was short, as the winds kicked up strongly, pushing me back home to watch the orioles eating oranges on the deck until the certain afternoon nap calls me. I’ll hope for less winds tomorrow to get a pile of wildflower shots in the annual collection!