Most often the photos in my posts are taken in the course of a hike, typically eight to ten miles or so, but this one was taken on a hike of less than fifty yards; in my own back yard.
Many years ago when we first moved to this place we decided that we would leave nearly all of the property in its original natural state, and so it has been, with a few minor exceptions. Down below the house there is an area one could call a “thicket”, mostly full of hawthorn trees and other shrubs and with all of the sharp spines, a rather inhospitable place. Over the years I have created and maintained a couple small paths (about 18 inches wide and six feet tall) through it as a courtesy to the deer, giving them a hidden route to follow and a friendly place to hang out, where they can be out of sight and out of danger. I periodically clip out the dead branches that infringe on the trail and in doing so the other day I discovered some plants that I had never seen there before; White Bog-orchids. I suspect that it was Nature’s way of rewarding me for my kindness to Her deer.
Montana Outdoors 