Laura and I enjoyed a walk in Smiley's Provincial Park yesterday. This park was flooded out during the torrential downpour last year. The bridge is still out but the campsites are open.

We came to visit the Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid, a rare and endangered orchid in Nova Scotia. For some reason the orchid which always blooms brightly on the first of July was a week or two early this year, whether it was the flood that changed the soil conditions or the three days of tropical weather (very hot and humid) that caused the changed or simply the shift of all things due to global warming we know not nor does anyone.

A few single orchids were in reasonable condition but the broad floral spreads so remarkable in this location were absent.

Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 150 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 151 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 152 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 153 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 154 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 155 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 156 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 157 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 158 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 159 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 160 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 161 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 162 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 163 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 164 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 165 Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid 166