Sunday, May 29, 2011

Lady Slippers

Every once in awhile I will write two posts in one day, and today is one of those days. I usually have my camera in easy reach. So I just wanted to share some photos that I took today. The subject of the photos always puts a smile on my face. 

In the past few weeks I have been on a hunt to find lady slippers that were in bloom. I hadn't found any in the normal spots were I have seen them in the past, and if I did I only found leaves. On the way to the hospital the other day, I spotted some lady slippers blooming on the wooded edge of someone's yard, but I didn't have my camera or I would have stopped and snapped a few photos.
This morning as I took a walk in the woods next to the house I looked again, but couldn't even find any plants where I have always seen them in the past. My neighbor whose house sits  in a wooded lot was out cutting his grass, and we got to talking.  I told Paul that I had been out looking for lady slippers, and to my surprise he told me he had some blooming under the pine trees in his side yard. Paul told me to come on over and take a look. I grabbed my camera and I went to see.

FINALLY, I found blooming lady slippers. I love lady slippers and have enjoyed them since I was a young girl. I don't know why, but lady slippers have always been a favorite.
Years ago you could find them in most any shady spot amongst the pine trees in the woods, sadly that isn't true anymore. I don't know if the deer have eaten them or they just aren't reseeding themselves. Or maybe other plants have crowded them out.
Anyway, I was overjoyed to see the lady slipper plants. There were approximately 10 plants in all. Some plants were in bloom, on some the blooms had already gone by, and a few plants had no flowers just the leaves. When we were kids my dad always told us not to pick the flowers, because then the plants couldn't reseed  themselves and  there wouldn't be anymore lady slipper plants.
Here are a few photos I took in my neighbors yard this morning.
ladyslippers1a group of 3
ladyslippers2 ladyslippers3
Okay, I know you are probably all sick of swan photos, but  I couldn't resist...on the way home from taking my dad to the hospital to see my mom, I stopped at my favorite spot to watch swans.
Below are photos of 2 young swans swimming amongst the lily pads.
bog swans swimming in lily pads1 I love how the swan on the left is taking a rest and just drifting alonw with it's head lying over it's shoulder/back.
bog swans swimming in lily pads4 bog swan swimming in lily pads3
bog swans swimming in lily pads2
elaine signature3

3 comments:

Joanne Huffman said...

Lady slippers always make me think of fairies. I love your photos of the. And, there's no such thing as too many swan photos.

Tammy D said...

Thanks for sharing the photos. I love lady slippers and have only seen them once in real life on Mackinaw Island.

Barbara said...

I enjoy Lady's Slippers too, but there are few left her. In fact, they are on the endangered list. Thanks for the photos!