Ah! At last, hiking again with the Thursday hikers. COVID19 has kept us apart, but with Tony’s 87th birthday on June 6 this was a very special birthday celebration hike at his home and land, masked and socially distanced and filled with great good spirit and friendship. The Polygala (Gay Wings”) and the Lady Slippers are in bloom so no time to waste heading up to the woods to see them. Gay WIngs is surely one of my favorites – they resemble tiny cartoon airlplanes about to take off. Donna’s 4 year old grandson Lincoln came with us and added a lot of fun to our day. The woods and stone walls were cool and quiet and wonderful – a perfect place to be together. There were lots and lots of pink Lady Slippers colonizing new areas of the pine needle floor of the woods. So many that you had to be careful not to step on them!!! Also, Tony showed us a “White Moccasin Flower”, a rare white form of the Lady Slipper. WOW! After 2 hours of hiking we went back to Tony’s yard, spread out with our bag lunches, and eventually had a parade while singing “Happy Birthday” to Tony. Then off to the hay field to watch the BoboLinks fly erratically about while chattering their distinctive “song”. They are “nesting” now, lay their eggs right on the ground – no nest! – which seems rather amazing to me. I wish it were easy to all be together, but if you’re reading this, know that I’m missing you. Best, Penny 
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