I’ve just got back from a day in the mountains with Liz. We were lucky enough to find a whole meadow full of Shooting Stars near the end of the Mishe Mokwa trail. It was a trail maintenance trip with the SMMTC, so we hiked four miles carrying tools onto the top of the Chamberlain Trail and then spent a few hours working before heading back. We found the flowers on the way back, and it was a real stroke of luck since Liz was already planning on profiling them on the trails council site. Here’s a sneak preview of one of her photos:

They’re fascinating plants, they always remind me of a wasp with purple wings. The maintenance work gave me my drain-building fix. There’s nothing quite like playing in the dirt with a pick-ax to clear your mind. It’s so nice to be able to stand back after an hours work and see what you’ve accomplished. It started to rain towards the end, so I was even able to see them in action!