MIXED EMOTIONS
A LARGE PATCH OF LADIES TRESSES ORCHIDS
SPIRANTHES CERNUATuesday, 7:30 AM. 72.5 degrees, humidity 68%. Wind W, light to moderate. The sky is mixed blue and rain clouds, and we had a light sprinkle earlier. The barometer predicts rain.
I found this colony of ladies tresses orchids (Spiranthes cernua) about 30 yards from my deer stand in orchard country the other day. There were numerous deer tracks among the 30’ diameter patch of orchids, which are growing in damp sandy soil. These little orchids are found in such spots around the Great Lakes and elsewhere in NE North America. Some species of Spiranthes are fragrant, this one is not. The orchid family is the largest plant family, comprised of around 20,000 species, most of them tropical.
Curt Johnson, whose son CG now owns the land I hunt on, reported seeing two large bucks with unusual antlers near my stand last week, also a large bear. Curt is a retired Lutheran pastor, which should ensure his veracity. Last night Joan and I took a top-down ride to cool off after the ball game and we saw a buck and a doe on Hwy J. Hope springs eternal, and it is time to sight in the rifle and do some target practice.
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