The Moose Goes A-Courtin'

And then suddenly, there was a brief spell of cool, wonderful weather. The temperatures dropped, the sun came out, and it was breezy and lovely. Just PERFECT. Great weather for hiking! Great weather for ANYTHING, actually. A good day just to be alive.

We'd talked about going to Quehanna, but somehow we just don't often make it that far. Instead, we ended up in Moshannon State Forest, above Black Moshannon State Park. I put on my new backpacking boot again, and took it out for its second spin. It ended up being about a four-mile day. The boot did great; I felt tough, like a tank, marching over hill and dale. I felt invincible; wished for a snake sighting; didn't get one.

The Moose, Tiny Tiger, and the Anteater came along in my daysack, and the Moose was smitten when we came across some beautiful pink native American princesses living on that hill. It isn't often that I have seen lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) this late, and so far from water. 

It's a pink-fest! The lady's slippers are blooming at the same time as the mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) now! But somehow, miracle of miracles, there the ladies stood, wrapped in beauty. There were more than a dozen of them, and these are the prettiest three.

They looked like sweet sisters to me, and the Moose set out to woo them. He walked over with his head down, his eyes averted, trying not to scare or intimidate them. But as he approached, he won them over. I heard soft giggles. Sweet sighs. Bonnets moving, heads bobbing. I think things were going well!

It progressed rather quickly from there. The Moose invited them to come along home with us. I explained quickly but gently that these aren't the coming-home sort of ladies. They are more the standing-on-a-hillside ladies. This is their home, and here is where they belong. We do not remove native plants from sunny hillsides. Oh no! We respect the wild.

So the Moose bid his farewells, or more rather until-we-meet-agains, for now that we know where they live, we shall look for them again. And there were smiles and waves and maybe even a tiny pink tear or two, as the Moose took his leave of the beautiful pink princesses on the hill.

Our soundtrack song is from the wonderful album Trio, by Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris. The tune is To Know Him Is To Love Him.  :-) <3


P.S. One little not-so-bright spot in the day: I got home, found an itchy spot on my lower back, discovered a tick. Husband removed tick. We are sending it to the Tick Lab for analysis. Clearly I am tender and tasty and delicious!