Scotty Smith's Orchids of Colorado. - Southwest Colorado Wildflowers

179wonderful new people who sharedthe experiences and were kindredspirits in my appreciation for thebounties of nature.I could go on and extol thethrill of finding a remnant prairie fullof Calopogon oklahomensis, Oklahomagrass-pink, or sitting by a fallen cedarcapturing Calypso bulbosa in watercoloror a myriad of other wonderfulexperiences, but I think I‟ll savorthose times to myself for now.I remember a visual feastwhen I was just a beginner at orchidhunting. We were in north Maineover the Memorial Day weekendholiday where we met a man whohad loved orchids all his life. On apart of his property he haddiscovered yellow lady‟s-slippers. Heset about helping them to multiply,assisting in their pollination. Whenhe showed us his handiwork, thegroup was overwhelmed by thesight. There were hundreds in bloom, carpeting the forest floor with their goldenslippers. The white birches and green hemlocks made a stunning setting for thesebeauties.Closer to home I have been thrilled to watch a small pair of pink lady‟s-slipperleaves sprout on my property. There used to be lady‟s-slippers here when I was a childbut the changing nature of the woods crowded them out. Now I have a chance to seethese leaves grow and mature into a flowering plant or plants. As of this year we havefour larger leaves in evidence. We look forward to next spring and what it brings.This is why my interest in orchids has never waned and why I look forward tomore adventures with these elusive wonders. I hope you all have built up a treasuredreserve of memories that delight your mind‟s eye and have many more years toexpand your experiences and enrich your life.Your Slow Empiricist