We are now more than 3/4ths of the way through our Lake Bemidji State Park hosting month. We will leave here on July 1 and, as for now, will return to William O'Brien State Park to host the month of July. This is a change in plans. William O'Brien developed an opening, and we were asked to return. Since July was an open month for us and we are still not done with doctoring and dentistry activities, it worked well to return to the park where we hosted in May.

Summer is full on, despite rumors of returning glaciers to MN, and the campground is pretty full on weekends. In fact parts of it resemble living in a city with traffic jams, kids on bikes scurrying about like cockroaches when the lights are turned on, music blaring, and sometimes tempers flaring. Ah, life is good living in a park. During the week, things are much quieter, but after the schools let out, we do have more folks coming and going during the week. So far we have had no murders, and generally the staff does the enforcement of rules infractions after we report 'em. Life is good.

The park has an active naturalist program on weekends. Talks, movies, boat rides, lectures, and on Sunday afternoons a concert by a local musician or group. It's a fun park to be living in. And, for us, we have had ample opportunities to renew old acquaintances with friends and colleagues we left 18 years ago. Shannon has been able to attend all the Wednesday noontime recitals, her legacy to Bemidji 26 years ago.

The park has lots of large white and red pines, and more paper birch, spruce and fir are here than in William O'Brien State Park. It is much more northwoodsy feeling, mosquitoes and all. We have enjoyed the wildflower development since coming here. The weather had set back the onset of spring/summer by at least 2 weeks, and we we were still able to see the hepaticas, anemones, and other spring ephemeral flowers develop and flower. The state park also is famous for its long boardwalk into a northwood's bog. The highlight, which brings lots of folks, are the lady slipper orchids that can be found in the bog. We walk the boardwalk at least once a week and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing the bog come alive with many different flowers. I'm going to add as many photos from the boardwalk that the blogmaster will allow. Please enjoy.

 Pitcher Plant Flower

Star Flower

Labrador Tea Flowering

Stemless Ladyslipper

Bunchberry

Yellow Clintonia

Three-leaved False Solomon Seal

Dragon's Mouth Orchid