For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Hello everyone and welcome back on this Friday morning! Today’s wildflower is the “Bog Laurel”, also called “Pale Laurel” and “Swamp Laurel”. This beautiful flower is a woody stemmed shrub really and grows in bogs, acidic lakeshores and muskeg. Although it grows in wet places, it doesn’t tolerate being flooded. It is often found with “Labrador Tea”, the white flowers in the picture. The leaves of this plant are evergreen. Each individual flower is about 1/2 inch (12.5mm) across and will form loose clusters of up to a dozen or so flowers. The very center of the flower is green. It will grow in both sun and partial shade and blooms from May to June. It is a native wildflower and grows up to 30 inches (75cm) tall. In Canada it can be found right across the country except in B.C., in the US it can be found from Minnesota to Pennsylvania and up to Maine. Thank you for reading. Beginning next week our wildflower series will be one day per week, probably on Wednesday. Our bird series will return, but I’m not sure which day yet, and there will be something different for each of the other 3 days as well. Have a fantastic Friday and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
ยฉ2021 Steve McLeod.
Pale Laurel sounds best
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I agree, that was it’s official name for a long time, then they decided to change it about 20 years ago, I don’t know why.
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Hope the Laurel is happy now ๐ Must a good girl friend to the botanist ๐ Nice flower though ๐ Have a lovely Friday ๐ฅณ
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It is a beautiful flower, but hard to find and hard to get close enough for a picture since the ground where it grows is wet and very soft, it’s easy to sink suddenly!๐๐บ๐ท๐บ
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easy to sink? so you were on water ๐ค such a hard worker to capture these photos๐ Love ur dedication ๐ฅฐ๐ค
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Well, it’s called a peat bog, which is wet and very soft soil. A person can be walking along and suddenly be up to their waist or chest because of a real soft spot!๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐๐ท
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๐ณ that means? hope you didn’t stuck right? ๐ง๐ค I am sure, you are not โบ๏ธ
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No, I was okay, but I did sink almost to my waist, it wasn’t easy getting out, too soft, nothing to hold onto.๐ณ Sigh. Got wet too.๐๐
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omg, why do you always invite trouble? how did you got out? anyone helped you? ๐ง or you rescued yourself alone ๐ณ. You could scare me ๐ฎ๐
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I was by myself,๐ฒ wasn’t easy getting out since it was so soft everywhere, but I made it finally.๐ณ Shouldn’t really be walking in places like that,๐ฌ could end up over my head, should always be 2 people,๐ but I’m just me.๐
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You are that dare devil lives in ontario ๐๐ such a brave man, but, you know, always have someone while doing such risk tasks ๐
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There’s never anyone around that wants to go with me,๐ณ๐ถโโ๏ธ๐ท so it’s up to me alone. Sigh.๐ But I am being more careful now.๐ Kinda. Sorta, A little anyway.๐ณ๐๐
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๐ having fun with solitude ๐ฎBe careful always ๐ Kinda, sorta, ๐at least a little pls ๐
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Yes, definitely a little, and more if I can!๐
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if you could, and you can๐
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Really? I can?๐ค๐
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Oh sure u can ๐
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I’ll try, um, next year?๐ค๐
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Like 20nvr (never) ๐คช๐
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Oh, I like that one!๐๐ธ
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ha ha ha ๐๐๐I knew it๐
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๐๐๐๐คฃ๐คฃ
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Very nice flower ๐ผ You are a wealth of information.! Have a great day!๐๐
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Thank you so much Dusty! Hope your day is going well!๐๐บ๐ท๐๐บ
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So far so good! Even better now that I’ve heard from you!๐๐
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Clouds are moving in here and the humidity is rising, makes it hard to breathe at times. How strange, most people would say the opposite.๐ค๐๐๐
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Sometimes it’s just impossible to not get wet!! Especially when there’s heat and humidity!๐๐คญ
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Yep, that’s true, that humidity just brings out the moisture in a person.๐ฌ๐
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Well you are kinda sweet so becareful you don’t melt… all that sugar ya know!๐๐๐๐
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That’s why all those yellow jackets were swarming around me this morning.๐ณ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
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That’s it!! Your secrets out!! Best becareful out there! ๐๐๐
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Yep, they fly around me all the time and even land on me which I really would prefer they don’t do, it makes me nervous. 14 stings is more than enough for one summer.๐ณ๐ณ๐๐
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Ya thinking huh?? I would say!!๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
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Yep, and those critters sting easily too, not like other bees and wasps.
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I believe it!! I won’t mess with them!!๐๐
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Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a tiny wasp?๐ค๐
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Ok I won’t say it,,,, but I am!!๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ
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And yet you’re hundreds of times larger. Just because they have thousands of them in one hive is no reason to be afraid.๐คช๐คช๐๐๐๐
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It’s not that!! It hurts! And I am a big wimp when it comes to pain!!๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ
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But it’s only a tiny hurt, with a welt the size of a grapefruit that lasts for a week or two.๐๐
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Exactamundo!!๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฒ
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Hey, it’s Friday, not munday!๐คฃ๐คฃ
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And thank goodness for that!! I can’t take another Monday this week!!๐ค
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That’s okay, you can always leave it behind for next week.๐๐
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Don’t kid about stuff like that!!๐คจ๐คจ๐๐
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Did I do that? Me?๐๐๐๐
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Um… well?? Yeah!! You just did! Got my hopes up then dashed them all to pieces!!๐๐๐
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WOW! And who was it that wanted me shredded like a piece of paper? Besides, who cares about Monday when Monday isn’t Monday because it’s Friday but soon will be Monday, but not until after the weekend which is just like a whole week long stuffed into two days worth of relaxing on the lake under rainy skies and strong wind and, and, maybe I should just stay in bed all weekend.๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ด๐ด
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Better not๐ฒ๐ฒ Muffin will think there’s something wrong with you! Ah… I mean … ah she might think you’re sick yeah yeah that’s it!๐คญ๐คญ
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I think she thinks that sometimes anyway I think she does.๐๐
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Is she right??๐ค๐ค
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What do you think?๐ค
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Maybe?? ๐ฌ๐ฌ
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Good guessing.๐๐
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Thanks! Been working on it since I read the story!!
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That’s good, maybe next time you’ll guess right!๐๐
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I doubt it!๐๐ you’ll change the ending…๐๐
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Would I do something like that? Besides, I already have the story written and I don’t rewrite it…usually.
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Yeah… the last part there!!๐๐๐๐๐
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What last part? What are you saying?๐ค๐ค๐๐
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I didn’t say anything…๐๐ I typed it!๐๐๐๐๐๐
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That’s why all that clicking in my ears.๐ณ
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Yes Erie BUB! I’m in your head!!๐คญ๐คญ๐คญ๐คญ๐คญ๐คญ
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While you’re in there sweep the place.
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Are you kidding?? I’d suffocate ๐ฒ๐ฒ
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Wear an oxygen mask.๐
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There’s no such thing!!๐๐๐ You show me a mask that holds oxygen!๐คจ
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Picky. Just hook up a hose to it.
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That would be a water mask! Ya can’t breath water!!
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People that go diving use them! And they breathe! At least I think they do.
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Okay!! You’re right!!๐๐
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Whew, that was close.
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I know!๐ณ
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Oh well, time for bed, good night Dusty! Talking more tomorrow!๐๐๐ด๐ดโกโก๐ฅ๐ฅโโ
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Absoposiddly!! Sleep Good!!๐๐
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It’s raining alot now!
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Good, it’s working, except it’s still raining a lot here too.๐ค๐
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That’s good!
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No no, not good.
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Why not goid?
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What has gold got to do with it?
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Can’t think of a single thing!๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
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Such treasures you have shared with us today ! So pretty ! Enjoy the day ! โ๏ธโ๏ธ๐๐บ๐ช๐ชโ๏ธโ๏ธ
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I really like these flowers, but they are hard to find. Have a wonderful day Sharon!๐๐บ๐๐ท๐บ
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I am sure if my Ohio nature walks have taken me to this particular wildflower. I enjoyed your description and photo. Thanks Steve for sharing.
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Glad you enjoyed it Richard! Because of their soft, watery bog conditions it’s hard to get close for a picture sometimes. I nearly sunk to my waist getting this picture!
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