Jennings Prairie, July 2011. Remembering Esther Allen

The purple fringed orchis on the bridge was no where to be found but after lunch seven of us did the woods trail to see the cardinal flower and nearby , in among the skunk cabbage, we found about a dozen and what I am keying out to be “small flowered purple fringed orchis”. That made my day. We found helleborine that was past its prime and seedbox in bloom. There were also lots of butterflies today. Especially spicebush, doing their mating dance over the prairie. There were dozens and dozens of them, possibly 100. As you will see in the group photo, Dave, Jr. brought Esther and Dave’s ashes along with the sundial he will store them in at his house. So Esther was with us in body and in spirit! The fruit cluster, I am calling carrion flower. No one was sure. The mushrooms Judy and I are guessing are a Clitocybe of some sort. Maybe funnel cap. I didn’t get home until a little after 5PM and I bet Monica didn’t get home until after 6:00PM. A long but very enjoyable day. — Dianne