OK ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, its time for this year's obligatory lupine photo.

I know that everyone with an image making device is out there crawling through the pucker brush, transiting the shorelines and hopefully, not trampling over this year's crop of Lupine Lady contributions to the already exceptional beauty of our Maine. For me, this is an annual visual adventure. Where will they come up, what colors will they be, and how many attend the big dance.

My guess is that this year's crop of lupine is pretty substantial. Judging by what has shown up in our neighborhood, there will be plenty to see and enjoy.

Lupine quantity seems to vary from year to year. Last year we didn't have nearly as many as we usually do, and nowhere near the numbers of this year. Similar in quantity to the number of red squirrels I mentioned in last week's newspaper adventure. I wonder if the two are related. The more red squirrels we see, the more lupine. Someone out there must have done a statistical analysis. It is an odd correlation. Sort of like the number of dragonflies will be greater at the same time porcupines swim across Townsend Gut to ravage our fruit trees! Don't get me started.

We didn't have lupine in Pennsylvania where I grew up. Well, at least not that I am aware of. We had Trailing Arbutus, which had to be found under leaves in darker moist areas. The flower has a heavenly fragrance. Once I asked my mother to help me find some in Pennsylvania that I could bring to Maine for George Cochrane who had wonderful gardens and expressed some interest. He planted the ones we got for him, but they didn't do well. I don't recall how George felt about lupine. He had magnificent rhododendron plants which were great fun to see each season and to photograph.

This year's lupine are very happy and quite colorful despite what might be a concerning dry period for this area. I particularly like the ones that grow into curled twisted shapes amidst the most stately vertical variety. Miss Rumphius would be pleased with year's crop.