El Sobrante Orchid

Tim's name for the flower in  this picture from one of his rambles through the hills in El Sobrante where he lives.He sent it to me on my birthday so I thought it would be appropriate to cheat a bit and publish it today for HIS birthday. I think it is probably a fritillary but definitely an unusual color for a checkerboard one. They are quite rare around here but Tim says that is because they a much favored by the deer who nip off the flowers for breakfast as soon as they show themselves. They do the same thing with our roses but they aren't rare....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tim! I hope this is the last year that we can't celebrate our birthdays together!