Okay. I know it's been a long time since my last post on this slog (slow, periodic weblog). One wonders if you can call it a slog (blog) at all. It's been 17 months. In my defense, however, I have finished the layout, and had printed, a sample copy of book 2 - Elusive Splendor: Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie. Since printing, I have copyrighted and registered all the images in that book, and I have designed and printed out an entire series of Wildflower Greeting Cards, and I have designed and printed out an entire series of Wildflower Bookmarks. 

In addition to the normal activities involved in finishing up and rolling out a new book, I also attended the 23rd North American Prairie Conference 2012 at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, the first full week of August this year. While there, I made a presentation of all 134 wildflower species I have photographed in the first two books of The Prairie Splendor Series, which is the totality of wildflower species I have photographed.

To your right, you will find an image of Lobelia spicata PALE SPIKED LOBELIA. I was photographing in late spring and this specimen was in bloom. The species is named after Mathias de L'Obel, 16th century Belgian botanist. Spicata refers to growing ears (like corn), in spikes. Due to the pastel color of its petals, it is commonly know as pale, spiked Lobelia. I am particularly fond of the round, deep purple stigma that is in sharp focus near left center of the photograph.