I never cease to be amazed at the things we encounter while exploring the great outdoors. We often go back to a places we have been before just to see some particular scene or animal we have seen before.

But one thing I have learned is that one must take advantage of the opportunities presented to us at that very moment in time, as those moments are fleeting and may not return again. Such was the case when we went back to the Lake looking for osprey as we had seen before, only to find an entirely different scene.

This time around we found the lake blanketed in pink with a lily-esque type of plant I had never seen before. I searched the internet to yield nothing. It took reaching out to my AZGFD contact to identify this ‘strange’ plant as a native water smartweed.

As many times as we have been out and about, visiting many lakes throughout Arizona, we had never seen this beautiful photogenic aquatic plant. This unique smartweed can grow either submerged or floating on top, making it an unusual amphibious plant. You can read more about it here … https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/polygonum_amphibium.shtml

One must be prepared for the situations we encounter, equipped with the right tools and knowledge, and willing to dedicate the time to capitalize on the moment.