Red Butte Garden's Orchid Sale: Come to Mama!

Brassidium Shooting Star Black Gold

 I was trying to be strong at the local orchid show. But then I rounded the corner, saw this crazy gal, and got weak in the knees... Seriously? $15 dollars? Come to Mama!

If you're a fan of the PBS Nature series, you've probably seen this rude trick: While animal Mom is out foraging for food, some techno geek sneaks into her underground den and installs a live camera.

Sheesh! While I feel that's a horrible invasion of privacy, if things get any worse around here, I may have to do that, too. With my Daffodils.

Because somewhere out there? Underneath drifts of fresh snow... is a whole garden of happy spring flowers. Not to mention a few hard to find Easter eggs.

Lady Slipper Orchids are endangered. The gal who grabbed this one right out from under me was in mortal danger, too.

April, I am sorry to say, is the second snowiest month of my year. [With March being the first.] Right about the time I've had it up to here with the color of white... 'true winter' kicks in.  April Showers, high mountain style, snow vs. dreary rain.

Which is why I am ever so grateful to have Red Butte Gardens to fall back on. Not only did they dazzle us with the most amazing Orchids I've ever seen. They were selling these breathtaking blossoms for a mere pittance! (Long live the Mastercard.) Enjoy the show:

Sunflower Meadows

Find this pretty trail in the foothills above Red Butte Gardens.

Bad Dog packed his party bandanna and took off on a desert camping trip... without me.

I don't know that I've ever had really high self-esteem but it's lower these days because I can't even compete with a dog and win. He's way more popular than I am.

For the next few weeks these mountain meadows will be saturated with big, cheery sunflower impostors. Do you know what they really are?*

There is an upside to the dog heading down south for the weekend. We got to spend our Friday Afternoon Club on one of those No Mutts Allowed! trails.

So, I guess we showed him.

Swallowtails were in 7th heaven, along the Mountain Meadow Trail.

Who Could it Be?

Is this big yellow wildflower a:

• Curly Cup Gumweed
• Mountain Meadow Groundsel
• Showy Goldeneye

The hiking trails above Red Butte Gardens are speckled with wildflowers. Well worth the $6 fee.

* However! If you're feeling slightly broke, (and who isn't, these days???) Make a right turn, right before you enter the Red Butte Gardens drive. Grab the first on-street parking space you see. Look on the east side of the street to find the first of the free trails that winds up into the foothills. These trails allow dogs and they don't cost you a dime.