Spring days and the groove

Finally. Getting back into the groove of things.

I walked the dogs just after dawn and then took a walk without them into the land east of us.

First I looked for flowering trees and searched to see if I could hear the Cat Bird yet. The wrens were singing along with Cardinals, Blue Jays, Brown Thrasher, and Morning Doves. [I heard others but couldn't ID them]

The shot below is of one of the wild apple trees before the sun lit it up.

When the sun touched other trees in the Meadow, I was stunned. The morning light adds so much warmth to the colors. 

Midday washes colors out, but evening also ads color.

Here is the lowly and unloved Box Elder Tree with its seeds ready to spread in the wind.

My all time favorite tree has nasty thorns, but I think is beautiful, is the Hawthorn Tree.

There is a small patch of them just outside of the Meadow.

Thankfully, the loggers didn't find them worthy of their chainsaws.

They will blossom any time now. 

In the fall their leaves turn brilliant and their flowers turn to red berries.

I had some friends in my pocket, so I couldn't resist.

My Pink Titan 13 had to smell the wild apple blossoms. 

Wall-E and Eve came along. Under the tree they found a quiet moment for love.  💖

These turned out much nicer than my efforts the other day. I can say that I am pleased with them.

The white and purple violets are for Sandra from This and That!

My yard is full of them. I am mowing around them!

Yellow Wood Violets!

Enjoy your spring day. Hopefully it is a good one. With the longer days, I feel like I am getting more things done.

Sunrises

Sunsets

More cool spring flowers and trees...

Just fun things I found while out checking the meadow east of us.

Below is a little plant/flower called Pussytoes. [scientific name: Antennaria plantaginifolia]

Here is a few glimpses of what I also found while walking to the mailbox and back.

Wild Plum Blossoms 5/1.

Wild Plum Blossoms 5/5.

Spring Beauties

Macro of above flower....

Grey Dogwood

May is a crazy month for me. Fall in reverse! So many things are happening in nature that is can boggle the mind.

Trees produce new leaves and catkins. Other trees flower. On the forest floor ephemeral flowers appear and are gone quickly while other flowers and plants emerge.

I feel that if I miss a morning walk, that I miss many things.

I need to get back out to see how one of my favorite trees is doing.

The Hawthorne tree.
Its needles are sharp and the tree has an interesting shape, but the flowers they produce are pretty amazing.

These are just starting. In the woods nearby, I can only find one solitary Hawthorne tree as the other three have died.

Perhaps I'll go out this morning and see if the blossoms have opened yet.

Cool Trees

 I think that trees and wildflowers in the spring are so amazing.

There is a mad rush where I feel I have to run out and find every flower that emerges as an ephemeral.   I want to squat down and peer at these flowers and enjoy their fleeting presence in the forest.

I rejoice at the flowers in my garden also of course, but they are there and will appear. I won't have to go searching for them in an adventure. So chasing those little flowers is exciting and frustrating sometimes. 

I may search one area too early or too late. 

I also take a moment to look at the trees and note when catkins are forming or leaves are bursting through. This year I followed one type of tree from November until now. I finally got a definite ID for the tree from my neighbor.

Here is the Hophornbeam tree. April 17th.

April 24th

Pictures of it in March are here in my blog about Bushes, Trees, and birds. It hasn't changed much except that the catkins are getting greener and plumper and the leaves are emerging.

Box Elder April 18th:

Box Elder, April 24th.

Wild Plum trees!

When I first moved to this area my husband would say that the first trees that blossomed were the Cherry Trees and now I am finding out that most of the 'cherry' and plum trees blossom about the same time. My forester neighbor confirmed this tree to be a plum.

It is in the woods to the east of our driveway. I'll have to see if it bears any fruit.

However, I did discover wild plums not far from the back of our property! Perhaps this fall I'll be able to pick them and make plum jelly!

Plum Blossoms from years past ~~~

April 27 2012

May 1st 2019

It is fun to see how different trees react differently to the weather. I don't recall how the weather was like in 2012. In fact, I don't think I was paying much attention to the weather as I was working 40+ hours a week in 12 hour shifts even though I was a part time employee.

This tree has always grabbed my attention and after all these years, finally the neighbor ID'd this for me also!

My next favorite tree that I like to watch in the spring is the Hawthorne Tree. It really isn't liked by some folks as it has some really gnarly thorns. 

In Ireland the Hawthorne Tree was said to be a home to fairies. In other places in Europe it was thought to be the Tree of Love and Romance [and of course fertility].

I like the tree because it is so unique. 

April 25th 2021

April 26th 2024

See the thorns? Thorny but so beautiful!

The leaves turn green once the blossoms open.

Apple Blossoms 

from the Wild Apple Trees

in the Meadow

April 26th 2024

This meadow was home to so many beautiful apple trees that were not planted by anything other than Mother Nature. However their fruit is always delicious. I enjoy picking as many apples as I wish each year for jelly and juices.

This last shot is from 

May 16th 2006

Photographed with a film camera.

With temps rising along with these wonderful rains we've had, I need to get out and really spend time exploring both the trees, bushes, and the spring ephemeral flowers.

And bam! It got fun!

May rolled in with hot weather and high winds. Our fire danger was Extreme which is unheard of in our neck of the woods. The land of steep valleys and plentiful streams.

But it was true. Our stream banks were dry and the water levels were low. Mosses had turned brown and had gone dormant in the forest. I found two types of fungi in the woods. A Pheasant Back and one lone Morel.

Pheasant Back. I've heard from others that these are eatable. And since I am grew up hearing that all mushrooms would KILL you from my grandmother, the only one I am confident on in the wilds is the morel.

88 degrees with winds that howled and tossed branches around was a summary of May 1st.
We watched dust devils whirl about in the winter pasture. The interior of the house was at 65 degrees and felt cold when we went inside. I read on the porch most of the day. So the 1st was a bust.

I got up at dawn for some reason on Sunday and decided to go for a morning walk. The hot weather made the wild apple trees burst forth with blossoms. I decided to go for a walk up through the old meadow and woods to get Saturday's mail in the early light.
In spring I feel that need to be out every day and watch in wonder as trees that have been so barren and stark all winter burst forth with leaves and flowers or catkins. It is Fall in reverse. 

I pulled out my books on trees and wildflowers and set them aside for when I got back from my walk with Charlie.

Knowing my trees is important while hunting morels. So after years of putting off learning about trees and ID'ing them from their bark, shapes, and leaves, I have decided to make another attempt at it. Maybe if I can figure out my trees, I can find morels faster? I don't know!

My husband said there were NO elms left because of Dutch Elm disease. Imagine my surprise when I ID'd this shot below. Classic elm tree shot, right? I think so! I've seen several of these in the woods. After the seeds drop though, the leaves look so similar to the Ironwood tree that litters our forest.

This one could be a slippery elm.

This one is obvious. The oak tree. But what type? 

I'm pretty sure this is a red oak. 

There were several types of maples leafing out. I think this one is a Red Maple. 

I know the neighbor on the ridge taps the 'Sugar' Maples but I'm not even sure if I can tell the difference in them until they fully develop leaves. As I said, I'm no expert but am curious to see if I can learn the difference.

Below is where I get all my apples. They are wild apple trees probably planted by the cattle that used to roam these woods and pastures or the birds? I even named this tree after my mule Opal. Opal Apples. This tree makes the best apple jelly of any of the wild trees. Opal used to rise up on her hind legs and pick apples. 

It was a sight to see!

I have many photos to go through. I have a possible cherry tree and perhaps a Prickly Ash and any regular Ash trees I can find. 

There were some bushes along the road that perplexed me. I've noticed the flowers before and the bush but never could figure out what exactly they were. 

I'll save those for later.

My all time favorite tree is the Hawthorne Tree. It has sharp spikes and interesting leaves and flowers.

I went through the meadow to the edge of the woods to see if the Hawthorne was blossoming yet.

I love its structure and its leaves.

It generally has blossomed out by the first of May.

I'll be going back every day until I get the blossoms. Walking through all those wild apple trees is like walking through a Pez candy container. The air is sweet and delicious.

Charlie went with me in the afternoon ... but decided he'd had enough of tall grasses. He simply sat down eventually in the grass and refused to move.

He decided when we got home to take his place on his throne, also known as the porch bench and rule his world from a more comfortable place.

His underbite gets me all of the time. His expression is priceless.

I think this is his imitation of being 'The Godfather'.