Calypso In White

Day 192: Happy Earth Day! No day goes by that I do not marvel at the Earth's wonders. Admittedly, an inordinate amount of that marvelling is conducted flat on the forest floor, heedless of mud and dirt whether I'm in uniform or not. Consequently, I frequently return to my desk after lunch with fir needles in my hair, bits of moss clinging to my elbows, pantlegs wet to the knees, and exultant over my latest find. Yesterday's gem was a white Calypso Orchid, discovered in the storm-ravaged Longmire Campground. It had been spared by the heavy equipment brought in to remove toppled trees and massive root wads, though what its future might be is open to conjecture. These delicate orchids like shady spots, and with almost 70 trees gone, the campground is a much sunnier site.

It was determined that the storm which caused the damage was a microburst, a localized pocket of high wind lasting only a few minutes. If you will, think of it as a sneeze on Mother Nature's part, and without the benefit of a hankie. The force exerted by her "achoo" on standing trees would be comparable to an unshielded human sneeze upon a desktop littered with confetti, over and done before the effects had time to settle. A human sneeze is difficult to suppress, but Ma Nature doesn't try. Nor do we when we're not out in polite company.

While I am thankful that she turned her head and spared the majority of the Calypsos, I cannot fault Ma for clearing her sinuses. After all, downbursts are as natural as wildflowers, and tree-fall is part of the process of succession in a healthy forest.

Footnote: white Calypsos are not a separate sub-species of Calypso bulbosa. Although far less common than the familiar magenta form, they are simply a colour variation.