Plestiodon fasciatus

Or... Five-lined Skink. This little skink was running back and forth atop the odd cement wall we have as part of some cement steps from one level of our behind the house area to another, seeming to try to figure out if it was possible to get down. S/he finally went to the end with the shorter drop and just basically scooted on down - which I knew s/he could do, but s/he seemed doubtful.

I consulted Wikipedia, as one does, and learned stuff. S/he's an adult! The pretty ones with the blue tails are the juveniles. New information for me! I am learning so many things in my golden years. Brilliant.

The extra photo is a Showy Orchis. Here's what I know about them:

Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis
A terrestrial orchid quite different from the epiphytic tropical orchids that grow on trees, this species sprouts from a cluster of long-lived fleshy tubers. In the northernmost states in which it occurs (Rhode Island to Maine) Showy Orchis is classified as endangered, and it is under assault elsewhere from canopy loss, lowering of the water table, erosion or rich topsoil, and thoughtless plant collectors. Native bumblebees are the primary pollinators.

This particular one grows right under a pine tree at the edge of the area we mow in front of the house. I discovered it three years ago whilst mowing. Surprise! Now I look for it to be blooming every year at about this time.