We had some snow again today and temperatures are to be below freezing by quite a bit the next few nights. Sounds like more ice photography to come. Mary Beth, as is true for most everyone I know…and don’t know, complained yesterday about being tired of looking outside and seeing snow. I scouted tomorrow’s location this morning and can not only concur but complain about walking in knee-deep snow as well. I’ll try my snowshoes, but I think they are too long for navigating the rocks and half-buried shrubs. Time to lighten the pack, I think. Next year I’ll have a pair of shorter shoes.
As spring does indeed lurk about the corner, I am sharing this older May image of a local lady’s slipper. Just the pick-me-up needed to keep everything in perspective.
I walked the path where I find these last week. No sign of any. 🙂
It is an amazing fact of nature that these lovely plants, and the not so lovely to those with jaded eyes, can disappear below ground under many feet of snow, yet pop up once the melt comes and be restored to their past beauty.
And on that note, I will press “Publish” and go throw a few more splits in the wood stove. 🙂
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
I feel for you about having the lingering winter weather. It is time to change. We have has some very nice days lately with clear skies and above 50˚. The forecast thru Tuesday looks to include something for everyone. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-91.59499&lat=41.71266#.VQ38e5PF8VN
Keep those Anticipation photos coming. They are good reminders of what we will see one day.
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I’ve a ton of anticipation shots…I want the real thing and soon! 🙂 I am glad you are seeing some spring-like weather…it is bound to reach us eventually.
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Some morning soon you might wake to find it is summer having skipped spring altogether.
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That’s a worry also. It has happened far too often that we either skip spring altogether or have a very brief season.
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Yep…what you don’t want is heavy rains coming with all that snow still around. Hydrologists are watching that closely.
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The Connecticut River runs from the junction of Vermont, New Hampshire and Canada and follows the border of VT and NH into Massachusetts. If the snow melts too fast and we get rain, there is flooding all along the river into the valley where we live. Because of all VT’s hills and valleys it is especially susceptible to flooding.
In 2011, Vermont got hit hard with much destruction.The worst was in 1927. I have a locally produced video that covers it pretty well. Here is a clip from Vermont footage.
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What a mess that was. $48 million was a huge sum them, as it is now. Let’s hope you get nothing like that again any time soon.
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It is so hard to think of winter lingering from here. It will be back to a different reality in ten days! I hope the snow goes soon and you get to see this year’s crop of Lady’s Slippers. Be careful on those rocks in the extra slippery conditions.
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Thanks, Rod…I am now very cautious as winter draws to a close. It’d be a shame to have weathered the last few months only to lose it at the last moment.
Keep enjoying that PV weather.
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Beautiful Lady’s Slippers and ii is indeed an unusual plant that can withstand snow and return to its former glory. i had not idea. I feel for you with all the snow. It must be exasperating. We’ve had lots of rain and its a real downer but at least we don’t have your long and snowy winters.
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Thanks, Yvonne. Just a little grousing by me. The days are getting better incrementally.
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And may they warm you well. As I’m sure you know, the pink lady’s slipper is the Minnesota state flower, and how wonderful they are! Serious spring is definitely coming–only a bit more patience…
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I usually am brimming over with patience, but this winter is sorely testing that. Sorry for the grumbling. 🙂
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You live in such a beautiful area. I haven’t the courage to face the winters you do. It really is amazing, the rich diverse life waiting to re-emerge under all that snow. May the fire warm you and the images of flowers lift your spirits 🙂
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I was born here so grew up with this. You have some pretty harsh winters yourself. It’s all relative to what you are used to. Doesn’t stop me from complaining though…where would the fun be in that? 🙂
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That’s got to be the best shot of a Lady Slipper (our provincial flower in PEI) that I have ever seen!
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Thank you, Bunty. That is quite kind of you.
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An excellent picture, of course.
Your words have put me in a place where I can’t shake the thoughts that a lady’s slipper has no zipper and that winter walks in snowshoes are better than in no shoes.
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You really do crack me up, Steve. This was one of your better ones.
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Spectacular photo!
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Thank you, Laura.
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I suspect you’ve noticed that your wonderful white Lady’s slipper with the single drop of moisture at the bottom looks remarkably like a blob of melting snow. At first glance, I thought it was snow. I’m glad it’s not. I ‘d hate for your lady’s slippers to be blooming, and there still be snow!
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I hadn’t thought of its resemblance to snow until now. The experience it reminds of blotted out all thoughts of winter for me. Yes, I am also glad it is not blooming so early. One of these days I’ll post a nice rich pink bloom that will leave little doubt as to its identity.
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Beautiful photo.
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Thank you, roamingpursuits.
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