Hexalectris spicata (Crested coralroot orchid)

Walter and I made a day trip to a site where we had seen Hexalectris spicata (Crested coralroot orchid) last year. In my opinion, this is one of the prettiest of our native terrestrial orchids.

They grow in a beautiful glade on the very top of Stone Mountain in Allegheny County, North Carolina. They were in tip top shape, and I've never seen them as pretty as they were, today.

The day started out rather disturbingly with me forgetting my camera bag and Walter finding out (when we got to the top of the mountain after a 2-hour hike in 95 degree temperature) that he had left the image card for his camera at home! Fortunately, I didn't forget my camera which had my 105mm macro lens attached.

We ended up sharing my camera and my tripod and a couple of additional lenses that Walter had managed to bring in his camera bag. All turned out very well except........ When we left the park and had driven an hour down the road, Walter discovered that he had lost his cell phone somewhere in the park! No way were we going back to look for a camera in the woods (after another 2-hour hike to the top).

"So fair and foul a day I have not seen." (Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 3) Shakespeare

When we arrived home, there was a phone message that indicated a woman had found the cell phone somewhere on the trail.

All's well that ends well... (The name of another Shakespeare play). ;-))