Yellow Lady's-slipper / Cypripedium parviflorum

What joy to get on Flickr this morning and find that there has been no new porn-spam activity overnight! Unfortunately, the hundreds of spam Likes have not (yet) been removed from the recent activity list. Thanks so much, Helen (Haden), for sending the link to Pete Rowbottom's posting about this issue.

Yesterday, 5 June 2018, I finally got out on my first botany walk of the season, having missed the first few weeks. Friends and I looked at the plants that were growing on the way down into Weaselhead, including these beautiful Yellow Lady-s slippers. They grow in so few places, so it is always a treat to find some in a location that is kept secret.

Two days earlier, I had been down into Weaselhead with birding friends. The next two photos were taken that day - Cliff Swallows collecting mud from the edge of the Elbow River to repair or build new nests that one can see under the large, green bridge that crosses over the river. When you walk across the bridge, you can find yourself surrounded by dozens of these birds flying in almost a mini-murmuration.

Today, I am getting my snow tires off and my All-season tires put on, at long last. I had to wait 8 or 9 days for the first available appointment time. Before we know it, it will be time to get those snow tires put back on. Our summer season is sadly so very short.