Sometimes I have to question why for years I endure clouds of black flies, often with a dozen crawling behind my glasses, waiting for the wind to settle, to photograph trilliums. Then, of course, I download the images with results like these and I know it's worth it.

Dan,
What a nice couple of pictures. You certainly have a knack for letting us share in the beauty of the U.P. Thanks for all the great shots that you share with us.

Finally---Some refreshing pictures of Spring.Thank you Dan!!

Calendar 2004 for sure!
Just beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

I always think of my Mom when I see trilliums - they're one of her favorite flowers.
So, I emailed the top photo to her and told her to go to pasty.com for a look at the second photo.
Thanks for sharing the photos!

FINALLY!!!!!

Dan, If taking good, (in your case, excellent) pictures was easy, we'd all be on this site. (and bored)
Never give up!

Ah, Michigan in the spring. I do miss it.

Ahh, indeed I was afield in the Northwoods yesterday afternoon, the forest floor is coming alive with vegetation, a re-birth if you will. Our winged friends (those armed with skin piercing air to ground ordnance) are also returning in squadron strentgh.

TO EM,MI... SPRING? I haven't even had Winter yet in Georgia! Where's MY snow? :)

Anyone know the total number of inches the Keweenaw got this year?

Hmmm... Just stepped outside and I think I smell Fran's Pasties... What are you doing, Fran?

Alex...We still have some of the Laurium Glacier left, if you hurry up here you can have it.

To EM, MI. ....Alex can have any leftover of the Laurium GLacier AFTER May 30th. (that is my guess when it will be gone.)

How about a picture of the black flies sometime?

Although I've never been there yet (not even in MI, I think), I still enjoy the pics - especially landscapes, townscapes, seascapes - and the trillium as a really nice birthdaypic for me. Might have to investigate the real thing some day. By the way, anybody know the "smart" (i. e. scientific) name for these?

The beautiful trillium.....how precious. And now Dan for an encore...would there be a chance of getting a shot like this one...of the beautiful Lily of the Valley flowers....that is my real favorite and never get to see any here in the South....hope to get up by mid June to the Lake and if it is not too late will get a glimpse of them and the lovely lilacs....Oh! the beauty of spring....thanks for your lovely photo again!

Thank you Dan for some great photos. Brought back memories of years past when I would be out photographing the early spring flowers. I'll have to get out and do that real soon.... or spring will be gone... :o(

Dan - gorgeous! I love trilliums. You certainly bring the best to us. Thank you!

Hei, Dan, Beautimous trilliums! They're not even close to opening here yet. I have three daffodils out, period. Mimi and I were up in Eagle River etc. the other day and the flowers up there are WAY ahead of ours. Thanks for sharing.

Wonder what Toivo's up to. Hope he's not having car probs again. We need some more blue letters to finish it.

Hans S in Germany: The "smart" or scientific name for these flowers is 'trillium grandiflorum'.

What in the world happened to our traveler? Sure has been a long week without him......hope to see an update real soon

Lovely, Dan. Thank you.

Alex,no pasties for me.I am sick with some sort of bug and can't even take liquids. I am glad I got up for a minute.It was a treat to see the Trilliums.They are so pretty. Well it is back to bed for me.

Alex sends a get well Prayer to Fran... With love!

lemon juice in a plate of water is supposed to get rid of mosquitoes! {?}

Hans S: actually, these trilliums are Trillium cernuum, or "nodding trillium". The grandiflorium are even more spectacular.

Are you folks plagued with flies all summer? If so, it seems you get snow for half the year and flies the other half!! I hope I'm wrong about this.

Jean,
Black flies are predominantly a June problem. They eventually die off. Mosquitoes are another longer problem. We brag about them (and the snow) to keep the faint at heart away from our paradise.

Where oh where has Toivo gone.
Where oh where can he be.

To Jean, Devon, England:

I'm a former yooper who always plans my summer vacation for after the 4th of July. The black flies are pretty much gone. The mosquito air force is manageable with a little OFF bug spray. But then we have the horse flies that like to bite chunks out of you as you swim. When someone yells "DUCK!" you don't question, you just dunk under real quick figuring they must see a horse fly about to take a nibble. But other than that, it is truly a glorious place.

I'm so glad you don't get 'em all summer!!! The problem area over here for flies is Scotland. I think the Scottish flies come out after June as I've been there in June and have had no problem at all. Maybe the UP ones migrate to Scotland at the end of June!!!

Dan, do you ever come across any arbutus? Would love to see some again. A friend and I used to find a lot of wildflowers by Woodside and Gooseneck Falls near Dollar Bay. There also used to be Dutchman's breeches. They were white and sort of looked like a pair of breeches hanging by the waist. We loved looking for wildflowers.

Thanks to gordy & daniel - now I'll be able to find out wether there's a german name for any of these - no one here knew.

Wild Flower report: I caught the tail end of
arbutus in bloom last week in Muskegon. I
hadn't smelled that bouquet in many years.
The fringed polygala was in bloom a week
later, what a beauty that one is! The flowering
dogwood flowers were making a good show
too. Came back to the Twin Cities via the
Ludington/Manitowac carferry and then 5
hours across Wisconsin. There the florest
floor was white with trillium. In the Twin Cities
the lilacs are in FULL bloom. I'm seeing
spring from all angles. Next: the Keweenaw
for another show this weekend.

Thanks for the beautiful Trillium wildflower. My son sent it to me via e-mail, and then I found it on your website. I have a story to tell you about the trillium: On May 10, 1986, our nephew and his friend died in a car accident. In their memory, my sister planted two trilliums (dug up from the forest floor). Since then the flowers have multiplied and bloomed. They are blooming today, in her backyard.