Photo Contest 2020 – Judges: Flora

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Filename arlene-kjar-earlydew.jpg
Entry Title arlenekjarearlydew
Location This was taken along a trail in Lake Carlos State Park, Carlos, MN.
Equipment I used my Kodak, EasyShare Z1015 IS
Entry Story We saw this rose on the trail that leads to the beach at Lake Carlos State Park. I think it is probably Smooth Rose, R. Blanda. It was a very wet area, with shrubs back of it.


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Filename arlene-kjar-springinpurple.jpg
Entry Title Spring in Purple
Location In my flower garden in Northfield, MN.
Equipment I used my Kodak Camera, EasyShare Z1015 IS
Entry Story We are always searching for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee and noticed that Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginianum, was being visited by a lot of bees. I at one time considered it a weed, but now am sure to leave many for the queen bees that come out early in the spring.


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Filename Barbara-DeGraves-Monarch-Butterfly-Caterpillar.jpg
Entry Title Monarch Butterfly & Caterpillar
Location Western Kentucky University Agriculture Farm
Equipment Photographed 7-24-2020, Canon EOS 90D, 100-400 mm Sigma Lens, 1/1600 sec at f/9, ISO 800 Canon 90D, 1/1600 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 800, 100-400 mm F 5-6.3 Canon lens Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop
Entry Story While visiting the agriculture farm of Western Kentucky University I noticed a patch of Common Milkweed growing by a pond. I quickly took a closer look and using my cell phone I made a short video of a Monarch Butterfly nectaring on the milkweed flowers. The next day I returned to the same location with my Canon camera and was fortunate to see a Monarch again. It was a very hot and humid day, so the Monarch was moving slowly, taking its time visiting numerous flowers. Then, I realized that not only was this native milkweed providing food for the butterfly, it was also providing food for a Monarch caterpillar on a lower leaf. Being able to capture two stages of the life cycle in one image was an opportunity I had never seen before!


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Filename Beth-Frees-Bedhead.jpg
Entry Title “Bedhead”
Location my Wild Ones certified yard
Equipment For this one, I just had my iPhone XS and did minor editing within the iPhone’s camera setting.
Entry Story I tried to capture the fuzziness of the Tall Anemone’s thimbles in October as they are preparing to “go to bed” for the upcoming winter.


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Filename Beth-Frees-Down-Side-Up.jpg
Entry Title “Down-Side-Up”
Location my Wild Ones certified yard
Equipment I used my iPhone XS and minimally edited it in the camera setting.
Entry Story I tried to capture the beauty of the underside of the Solomon’s Seal against the blue sky and tall trees.


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Filename Beth-Frees-Mini-Gazing-Balls.jpg
Entry Title “Mini Gazing Balls”
Location my Wild Ones certified yard
Equipment I used my iPhone XS and minor editing done within the camera setting.
Entry Story I tried to capture the reflective nature of the Narrow-leaved Wild Leeks in early August.


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Filename Beth-Frees-Self-Healing-Meditations.jpg
Entry Title “Self Healing Mediation”
Location my Wild Ones certified yard
Equipment I used my iPhone XS and did minor editing with the camera setting.
Entry Story I attempted to capture the intricate fringed details of the Self Heal flowering in June.


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Filename bret-rappaport-Kebler-Pass-CO.jpg
Entry Title Tragopogon in the Mountains
Location Crested Butte, CO
Equipment Nikon D800 with a 28-300 Nikor lens
Entry Story This is a kind of mountain aster of the “goatsbeard” family. The photo is taken along the near Kebler Pass (el. 10,007 ft.) traversing Gunnison County Road (GCR) 12.


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Filename CatherineBrylaSunflower.jpg
Entry Title Sunflower
Location my back yard
Equipment canon power shot sx70
Entry Story An 8 foot sunflower shines brilliantly in the afternoon sun.


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Filename CatherineBrylaSunflowerHostingEarlyMorningTenants.jpg
Entry Title Sunflower hosting early morning tenants
Location my back yard
Equipment canon power shot sx70
Entry Story Our sunflower garden provided an overnight resting spot for many visitors.


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Filename Cynthia-Cieckiewicz-Aspera-tional-Sunset.jpg
Entry Title Aspera-tional Sunset
Location My yard
Equipment iPhone 8, iOS 13
Entry Story When I was working in my yard I looked up and saw the sun setting behind my stand of Liatris aspera. Luckily I had my phone with me so I snapped a picture of it. The date was October 8, 2020.


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Filename Cynthia-Cieckiewicz-I-Wouldnt-Trade-des-Cantia-for-Anything.jpg
Entry Title I Wouldn’t Trade-des-Cantia for Anything
Location My yard
Equipment iPhone 8, iOS 13
Entry Story This bloom caught my eye when I was watering my apple tree. So I snapped a picture of it.


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Filename Daniel-Cruikshanks-Fungi.jpg
Entry Title Fungi
Location Kalamazoo Nature Center
Equipment Nikon D5000 with Tamron 70 to 300 zoom. Edited with Picasa 3.
Entry Story During an afternoon hike at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, we spotted this stunning fungi growing off of the side of a tree about 12 feet up the trunk. The sunlight just happened to be shining down through the fungi causing it to glow in the shade of the forest.


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Filename Daniel-Cruikshanks-Sprinkle-of-Color.jpg
Entry Title Sprinkle of Color
Location Yosemite National Park
Equipment Nikon D5000 with 50mm lens. Edited with Picasa 3
Entry Story Hiking on the granite domes of Yosemite, we cam across this tuft of pink wildflowers growing from the cracks.


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Filename Danielle-Bell-Grass-Pink-Orchid.jpg
Entry Title Grass Pink Orchid
Location Side of the road by Black River State Forest
Equipment Canon Rebel Camera
Entry Story While camping this spring in the Black River State Forest, we found so many native plants growing up along the side of the roads including this orchid. It still amazes me that we have a high diversity of orchid species in Wisconsin and even more that they are able to grow along side human disturbances. We can cohabit the earth without completely destroying the natural habitats and ecosystems that exist with us.


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Filename Danielle-Bell-Whorled-Milkweed.jpg
Entry Title Whorled Milkweed
Location Wauwatosa Wisconsin
Equipment Taken with Canon Rebel camera with slight adjustments in Photoshop
Entry Story The delicate flowers of whorled milkweed always fascinate me, especially when you see the large pollinators, such as golden digger wasp or resin bees using them as a nectar source. They are so intricate and detailed when they are open but the buds are also just as beautiful


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Filename Dawn-Marie-Staccia-Morning-Dew-on-Lupins.jpg
Entry Title Morning Dew on Lupins
Location My native garden, Eagle, WI
Equipment Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi Macro Lens used Software for all of my photos submitted is Microsoft Photo (I forgot to list this on my Monarch on Coneflower submission)
Entry Story On April 28, 2020 my native lupins in my native garden were coming up and there was a heavy dew that morning. I took my camera with my macro and shot this photo of the lupins.


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Filename Dawn-Marie-Staccia-Shooting-Stars-On-A-Rainy-Day.jpg
Entry Title Shooting Stars on a Rainy Day
Location My property, Eagle, WI
Equipment Canon EOS 80D Telephoto Lens 150 – 600 mm Software is Microsoft Photo May 18, 2020
Entry Story It was a rainy morning and there is a patch of native shooting stars, on our property. The rain had stopped and I grabbed my camera and started shooting. This patch of shooting stars has been on our property for more than 30 years.


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Filename Eileen-Graessle-Drop-of-Life.jpg
Entry Title Drop of Life
Location Shaw Nature Reserve
Equipment Olympus Touch, macro setting with LED ring
Entry Story Recent rain left droplets of water suspended on blades of grass, perfectly balanced in a clever physics display.


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Filename Elizabeth-Stanley-Buttonbush-Flower.jpg
Entry Title Buttonbush Flower
Location My home garden
Equipment This photo was taken with a Nikon D3300 camera.
Entry Story Our yard consists of 1.5 acres located on a corner. We have 2 restaurants across the street, a funeral home next door and a medical building across the street to the north of us. We also have a creek that runs diagonally through the yard, which was choked with honeysuckle bushes. After attending a lecture by Doug Tallamy in 2011 we decided to get rid of the honeysuckle and turn the yard into a native plant preserve. Almost 10 years later, we have planted over a 100 species of native plants.


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Filename Elizabeth-Stanley-Gayfeather-and-Coneflower-Garden.jpg
Entry Title Gayfeather and Coneflower Garden
Location My home garden
Equipment Nikon D3300
Entry Story This is in one of our native gardens. It contains gayfeathers and coneflowers. It is edged by a stone wall which follows our driveway from the front sidewalk up to our stone house. It attracts a wide variety of pollinators.


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Filename Gary-Shackelford_common-milkweed-seeds-and-pods_1511.jpg
Entry Title Common milkweed seeds and pods
Location Fair Meadows State Natural Area, WI
Equipment Nikon D850, Nikkor 70–200mm f/2.8 lens at 200mm, ISO 2000, 1/125 sec, f/10, tripod. Optimized in Adobe Lightroom.
Entry Story This photo of seeds and pods of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) was taken in a planted prairie near my home in southern Wisconsin.


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Filename Gary-Shackelford_marsh-marigold_5648.jpg
Entry Title Marsh-marigold
Location Fair Meadows State Natural Area, WI
Equipment Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70mm lens at 55mm, ISO 800, 1/125 sec, f/16, tripod. Image optimized in Adobe Lightroom.
Entry Story Marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris) in a spring complex near my home in southern Wisconsin.


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Filename Geri-Fox-milkweed-blossom-ball.jpg
Entry Title Milkweed blossom ball
Location Lindberg Park, Oak Park, IL
Equipment iPhone 7
Entry Story I think that the milkweed blossom ball looks like intricate carved ivory. Many people walk by without giving it a second glance. The purpose of this photo is to draw attention to its exquisite loveliness.


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Filename Geri-Fox-Monarch-on-Michigan-Lily-with-buds.jpg
Entry Title Monarch on Michigan Lily with buds
Location my back yard, Oak Park, IL
Equipment iPhone 7
Entry Story I love the similarities between the butterfly and lily patterns.


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Filename Janet-Allen-Buttonbush-19.jpg
Entry Title Buttonbush-19
Location My yard
Equipment Nikon D5100 with 105mm lens Lightroom and Photoshop
Entry Story The buttonbush flowers last only a few days, so I wanted to get a photo. It wasn’t until I downloaded the image that I recognized its similarity to the symbol of 2020 – the coronavirus!


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Filename Janet-Allen-Merrybells.jpg
Entry Title Merrybells
Location In my Syracuse, NY yard
Equipment Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop Nikon D5100 with 105mm lens
Entry Story This is a plant I bought at one of our native plant sales provided by Amanda’s Garden. I’ve always loved its elegant appearance and beautiful color.


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Filename JeanneMHenderson-Joe-Pye-Weed-52mp.jpg
Entry Title JeanneMHenderson Joe-Pye Weed
Location Chippewa Nature Center, Midland, MI.
Equipment N/A
Entry Story Nice specimen of Joe-Pye Weed growing next to Arbury Pond and Trail.


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Filename JeanneMHenderson-Slender-leaved-Goldenrod-12mp.jpg
Entry Title JeanneMHenderson Slender-leaved Goldenrod
Location Chippewa Nature Center, Midland, MI.
Equipment Nikon D3300, normal lens(18-55mm) using the close-up function.
Entry Story I have been trying to get good photos of all the goldenrods, and this one especially is hard because of all the thin stems radiating out. It is a favorite species because it is easy to identify and a bonus was finding the honeybee in the shot.


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Filename JeanWeedmanSpiderwort.jpg
Entry Title Spiderwort
Location Eagle Nature Trail Prairie, Eagle, WI
Equipment Samsung phone camera
Entry Story Volunteering at the trail allows wonderful opportunities to capture moments when plants are at their best!


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Filename Jim-Rogers-Porcelain-Beauty.jpeg
Entry Title Porcelain Beauty
Location Near the Plover River in Stevens Point, WI
Equipment iPhone SE
Entry Story One of the first wild flowers to blossom in early Spring, blood root is a warm welcome after the snow has melted. I am always awed by their pure, porcelain beauty on the forest floor and feel that this black and white image emphasizes that purity.


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Filename JoanBrandweinColumbine.jpg.jpg
Entry Title Columbine in Bloom
Location Saint Paul, MN
Equipment Sony A7R3, 90mm Macro lens, Adobe Lightroom
Entry Story I have been developing native plantings in my small urban yard for several years. This Columbine is part of a woodland planting area under a small tree.


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Filename JoanBrandweinMilkweed.jpg
Entry Title Future Milkweed
Location Saint Paul, MN
Equipment Sony A7R3, 90 mm macro lens, Adobe Lightroom
Entry Story I have been developing native plantings in my small urban yard for several years. I have been letting areas of my yard naturalize and change over time by leaving plants to self seed and naturalize into the garden areas.


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Filename Joyce-Tuharsky-Columbine-on-Lake-Michigan-Shoreline.jpg
Entry Title Columbine on Lake Michigan Shoreline
Location Hoffmaster State Park, just south of Muskegon , MI
Equipment I-phone loaded onto Dell computer. The only alteration to this photo was a slight straightening, since the horizon in the background was not flat.
Entry Story My husband and I were hiking at Hoffmaster State Park along the Michigan Lake shoreline this past May, looking for ephemerals, when I notice a few Columbines just starting to bloom along the steep forested dune down to shore. So pretty, I tried to get closer to get a better look. Starting to slip, I braced myself, held my Iphone awkwardly low, and snapped a photo. Wow! Surprise! –a lovely photo.


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Filename joyce-tuharsky-Purple-Cardinal-Flower.jpg
Entry Title Purple Cardinal Flower
Location My backyard at 3998 Clearview NE, Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI 49546
Equipment I-Phone, loaded onto my Dell computer and emailed. This photo has not been cropped or altered in any way.
Entry Story The purple is the actual color of the bloom of this Cardinal Flower plant! The colors in this photo have not been altered in any way. This is the third year this Cardinal Flower has bloomed, growing larger every year. It may be sterile, because there are very few seeds in the seed sags, and I have found no other plants with purple blooms. Dave Warner, a botany PhD and professor at nearby Calvin College, has tried to germinate the seeds but with no success. Nevertheless, bees like it. I have a lot of Cardinal flower plants in my yard mixed in with Blue Lobelia. Was there a cross pollination? …. Who knows?


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Filename Leanne-Phinney-Pasque-Flower.jpg
Entry Title Pasque Flower
Location Shoreview MN
Equipment N/A
Entry Story This photo was taken at one of our wild Ones chapter’s projects where I volunteer – a native plant garden at Island Lake Elementary School


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Filename Mark-Eclov-A-Portrait-Of-Little-Blues-Susans-and-Sedums.jpg
Entry Title A portrait of Little Blues, Susans, and Sedums
Location 474 retrac road, lexington ky
Equipment Samsung SM-G965U smart phone F1.5: 1/10 second 4.30mm ISO 640 Auto White Balance No Flash
Entry Story I love the interplay of colors and lines in this tight grouping of Little Blue Stem, Black-eyed Susans, and Sedum plants. While all these plants last much of the summer, it’s the latter part of summer when the sedum becomes grand central station for a host of bumble bees, honey bees, and butterflies and the finches that frequent our feeders find an additional meal among the Black-eyed Susans.


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Filename Mary-Jo-Adams-Emergence4782b.jpg
Entry Title Emergence
Location The Don Gardener Prairie in Kempton, Illinois
Equipment Canon EOS 6D, Tamron 28-300mm lens, handheld, Lightroom
Entry Story I loved that this shows the grace and beauty of a Big Bluestem seedhead emerging into the light.


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Filename MayFarnsworthEarlySunflower.jpg
Entry Title Early Sunflower
Location Geneva NY
Equipment Cellular Phone
Entry Story This is an early flowering of an Early Sunflower.


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Filename may-farnsworth-smooth-blue-aster.jpg
Entry Title Smooth Blue Aster
Location Geneva NY
Equipment Cellular phone
Entry Story We waited so long for the Smooth Blue Aster to appear and we loved the new splash of color.


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Filename Michael_Banco_Elderberry_and_Waxwing.jpg
Entry Title Elderberry and Waxwing
Location Bong State Recreation area, Wisconsin
Equipment Sony A7Riii with Sony 200-600 mm lens. This photo was shot at 1/125 s, ISO 400, f7.1 at 600mm. Minimally processed in Capture One software.
Entry Story Several Cedar Waxwings were feasting on the berries on this Black Elderberry. I had just finished a few hours of hiking and captured this photo as I headed back to my car. Photo taken on 8/10/20


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Filename Michael-Sternberger-Bee-Balm.jpg
Entry Title Bee balm
Location My wife’s garden Lexington, KY
Equipment Canon EOS 7D camera EFS 18-135mm lens. Affinity photo software.
Entry Story I was drawn to the this flower due to the pattern of the leaves. They all seem to be pointing to the flower.


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Filename Michael-Sternberger-Pas-de-deux.jpg
Entry Title Pas de deux
Location My wife’s garden, Lexington, KY
Equipment Canon EOS 7D camera with EF18-135mm lens. Affinity photo software
Entry Story Two trilliums entwined in her my wife’s garden appear to be two dancers in a ballet.


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Filename Nancy-Kusch-Calling-All-Hummingbirds.jpg
Entry Title Calling All Hummingbirds
Location Seymour, WI
Equipment Google Pixel 3A
Entry Story Columbine are one of my favorite flowers with their pop of red in a shady garden. These looked great with the creek water moving in the background. The hummingbirds enjoy the flowers making these a great choice just outside my window.


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Filename Nancy-Kusch-Fringes.jpg
Entry Title Fringes
Location Seymour, WI
Equipment Google Pixel 3A
Entry Story This is Tall Meadow Rue in the wooded area in my yard. The plants stand at least as tall as me and the flowers delicately sway in the breeze, looking like fringe decorations.


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Filename Nathalie-Shanstrom-Shooting-Star-Dodecatheon-meadia.jpg
Entry Title Shooting Star, Dodecatheon meadia
Location Our Back Yard
Equipment :Lg smart phone
Entry Story At a time when all the other surrounding prairie plants are still dormant, these shooting stars brighten up our back yard and foretell of a whole new growing season starting up!


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Filename Nathalie-Shanstrom-Spring-Carpet.jpg
Entry Title “Spring Carpet ”
Location Our Back Yard
Equipment Lg Smart phone
Entry Story Lush colors of spring after a long fall and winter (Jacob’s Ladder and Columbines flowering, with some Cranesbill foliage). Even though this carpet is very simple, it is very soothing and invigorating to me for some reason.


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Filename Peggy-Steichen-Gentian-Delight.jpg
Entry Title Gentian Delight
Location Corron Farm
Equipment Cell Phone Samsung Galaxy S9
Entry Story Came across this prairie gem during a seed harvest.


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Filename Peter-Boychuk-Black-eyed-Susan.jpg
Entry Title Peter Boychuk Black-eyed Susan
Location Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Equipment Samsung Galaxy S10 phone camera
Entry Story These Black-eyed Susans grow in abundance at the side of our house. Maybe planted by former owners or just blown there by the wind. They are sunny and cheerful and seem to be rewarding us for letting them grow freely.


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Filename Peter-Boychuk-Milkweed-and-frog.jpg
Entry Title Milkweed and Frog
Location Luxemburg, Wisconsin
Equipment Samsung Galaxy S10 phone camera
Entry Story There is an area of our yard where milkweed grows freely. We like to call it the Butterfly Garden. I went there in search of monarchs and found this little frog instead.


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Filename Ruth-Oldenburg_The-World-in-a-Raindrop.jpg
Entry Title The World in a Raindrop
Location My yard
Equipment iPhone 11 Pro, iphoto software
Entry Story I was looking at my Wild Lupine leaves after a rain. The raindrops were so beautiful! It was not till I looked at the photo up close that I noticed what looked to me like a world globe in a large raindrop towards the top.


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Filename Ruth-Oldenburg_Wild-Ginger-Gem.jpg
Entry Title Wild Ginger Gem
Location My backyard
Equipment iPhone 11 Pro, iphoto software
Entry Story I have patches of Wild Ginger in my yard along the woodland edge. I lifted the leaves to see the hidden flowers.