Oakland Camp Road Again

The wet spot at the half way point on the road into camp is teeming with interesting bugs and flowers. The Northern Checkerspot butterflies were gathered on a damp stretch of pavement getting their afternoon drinks. Interesting difference between top wing pattern and under side.
Photographing the Western Dog Violet, both its charm and its difficulty is the petals flop around like a floppy-eared dog and I can't get a photo emphasizing its symmetry. Still a great color to see. They're wilting fast, so this photo will go in my journal for memory's sake. The Douglas's Spiraea are beginning to bloom by the pastures in the Pocket area. None by the creek on the way into camp, yet. They'll be blooming in abundance soon. Last is the Spotted Coralroot I photographed a couple of weeks ago among the Mountain Lady Slippers. it has now gone to seed, but is still an attractive statue in the forest. When the seeds drop, they won't germinate unless they land in soil containing a specific fungus which prepares nutrients for absorption. Symbiosis is a wonder, still little studied.