Tiny Features

 It's time to share some macro photography. If I were to be told I could take only one kind of photo for the rest of my life, I would choose macro. I've always been good at it. Even as a child, I won accolades for my macro photography in 4-H. I still have the kelly green Special Merit ribbon deep inside the hope chest just to my left as I blog today. If you look to the right, you will see my most popular post is August Flowers. It became an instant hit. I'm still surprised by that because those are simply flowers growing in Viking Park in my little Wisconsin town. Well, it's time to see if some alpine flowers from Glacier National Park can topple those tiny gems.

 I'm not an expert, and I can't really identify any of these specimens, but a few I can be fairly confident of their names. To the left: Mountain Bluebell. 
They were everywhere, sitting in little spotlights of sun. Larger than those I'm used to seeing in Wisconsin, they were impressive.

But there were more than pops of purple dotting the forest floor.

 I believe the red flower here is called Snow Flower. They were everywhere.

  More than flowers snagged my attention. These little red jewels were destined to grow into fruit to feed hungry birds and bears. 

And the next generation of tree sprouted from their elders.

Even the thistles are beautiful in the mountains. Above is the aptly named Showy Thistle.

They could be weeds, they could be rare species, I recorded them all. 

Here's one I do know. The Western Trillium. I love trillium and we have our own variety in Wisconsin forests. They herald spring, and the season of celebration to follow. Marks are everywhere, if you look for them.

In Cairn: A Dragon Memoir, marks play a pivotal role in the life of the dragons. 

From his prone position, Troika studied the Scribe’s inscription. It was large and far more elaborate than the others he had seen. A hand with crisply etched fingers, their claws unsheathed, spanned the expanse of the dragoness’ throat. Inside, an eye stared out at the viewer. The effect was clear. Kes saw all even when others thought she was otherwise occupied.