gabriola-calypso-smThis is Fairyslipper, also known as Calypso Orchid. Its Latin name is Calypso bulbosa. And today I found one — just one! — in the middle of a grassy area in the Gabriola woods.

It’s a stunning beauty, it is. The small image here doesn’t do it justice. If you’ve got a moment, I invite you to visit the larger version of the image. (696 pixels wide, 982 pixels high, and 510 kb in file size.) I’ll wait here for you.

I was tempted to post the full size version, but it’s several times larger still. Have I ever mentioned that I really love my camera?

In other news, I’m weeks behind on my email, my laundry, and all manner of other things. It’s because I’m spending hours and hours and hours in the forest, discovering all kinds of cool stuff.

Update, May 2nd: now there are hundreds of fairyslippers blooming in this area.

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