Of all the beautiful flowers in Gallup and Furstenburg Parks, Michigan Lily, is my favorite. Spottted north of the walkway in the second wetland as you head west from the main bridge in Gallup along the pathway, this beauty takes your breath away. At least it took my breath away. Similar to 2016, I spotted this in mid-July in an inaccessible part of the park and used my telephoto lens to save having to put waders on to reach them. One bud was in bloom with 2 others ready to bloom in a matter of days. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to the park with my camera to catch all three in bloom simultaneously.
Barely visible in the photo are six tepals (3 sepals and 3 petals), six stamen and one large pistil. These plants are butterfly magnets for a variety of butterflies including the Monarch and Swallowtails. While these flowers only bloom for about a month the experience in seeing them is a lifetime event that you will always remember.
Photos by Stewart Nelson, some rights reserved. 
Photos by Stewart Nelson, some rights reserved.