Aquilegia chrysantha

By Matt Young
Golden columbine
Aquilegia chrysantha – golden columbine. A week or so ago, I was, as Feynman might say, observing the gorgeous garden of my friend Ron Wittmann (coauthor of Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope, Fourth Edition: A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants, as well as a companion volume on the western slope). It was raining and fairly nasty, but I managed this snapshot. This is not the Colorado state flower; that is the blue columbine, A. caerulea. I have a picture of that too, but unfortunately it lacks the raindrops.

Not quite half-time in the XIV-th Photography Contest, a bit over a week to go. So dust your cameras, polish your lenses (but not, God forbid, dry), get out your tripods, macro lenses, microscopes, and whatnot, even buy film, and submit up to Ⅲ entries to ProfessorSteveSteve@gmail.com. Professor Steve Steve has solemnly promised to forward your submissions promptly. Entries close July 7 at noon, MDT, and we will announce the finalists at noon, Monday, July 12.