Bittersweet consolation:
I searched for another hour or so until I eventually found some additional
sites a bit further from the road.
Obviously there are plenty of other Pinguicula pumila plants in the
Big Thicket, and I suppose it was a good thing for my composure that I could console myself with knowledge that at least
some seeds had been produced by the plants before they had been crushed.
But still, I was in a very pissy mood for the rest of the morning.
Those of you interested in geeky photography have asked me about the diffuser I use to get softly illuminated
images like the above, even though I may be shooting under harsh noon day sun. I use a homedesigned, homemade
diffuser constructed of PVC pipe, shower curtain, and binder clips.
It can be reconfigured into a number of shapes, and the shower curtain can be clipped on to cut down wind, diffuse
the light, etc. It breaks down pretty conveniently. If you shoot in color, make sure you use a shower curtain that is
etched but does not have a color print on it.
