Camping

Tuesday through Thursday was my annual camping trip with two friends from my NYS DOL days. As is frequently the case when we do these outings, it rained a fair part of the time. In spite of that we managed to have campfires both evenings. The first night was cold the second it sprinkled on us. On one of our excursions we spotted these Lupine. They seemed to be growing on a lot of the slopes along the roadside. I don't recall seeing Lupine in the Adirondacks as a wildflower before. Perhaps the highway dept planted them for erosion control on the embankments. Photo taken with a Canon G10 in light rain.

In looking up information about the flower I learned that its name is a homophone, a word that has different meanings depending on how you pronounce it. The word forte is a common homophone. Pronounced 'for-tay' it is a musical notation term meaning "play loud or forcefully". The same spelling pronounced 'fort' refers to a personal strength or skill. In the case of Lupine the flower is pronounced 'Lu-pen' while the pronunciation 'lu-pine' means wolf like, ravenous or rapacious.

Probably the best photo of the trip though is the one below of a pair of Fragrant Waterlilies in a swamp along County Hwy 45 near Upper Saranac Lake. Photographed in a light rain with a Canon 7D while on my way home.