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.

Hay Valley Spring Hike

It was time for our second Annual Spring Hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Fellow Blogger Aurora [equine expressions] and I studied the weather and decided to go for it this week.

Not only was she early to our meet up place, she said she didn't get lost. 

Once we started, our Trail Master kept us on the right track.

At first glance, the trail may look a bit mundane and even boring. But it isn't. Spring feels a bit late this year, but ...

...it is slowly emerging and with a few warmer days it will explode.

If one looks closely, the flowers are emerging on certain hillsides.

Bloodroot

Dutchman's Breeches

Fiddlesticks
--Ferns

Hepatica
[see the fuzzy leaves?]

Wild Photographer
on the loose:

 

We stopped a lot and just soaked in the forest sounds. The day was a bit overcast and at times the sun peeked through but we just walked, talked, and admired everything along the trail.

And photographers who hike together will often grab a candid of the other person. Aurora was no exception. She caught me playing with my Legos.

What was I doing? Well, I was setting up a Lego BigFoot inside a 'cave'. However, I wasn't sure that he should have a fire inside a hollow tree.

The place I really wanted Aurora to see was the old foundation.

This was a much better place to discover Bigfoot.

Photos by
Aurora!

And this is what I was shooting. I found Bigfoot!!!! He was taking a photo of me!

We spent a lot of time looking at this foundation. It may be the only remains of one of the farm buildings that were purchased to make way for the dam that didn't happen.

We took our time and strolled, stopping often to look at things. I never even glanced to see what time it was. I was enjoying everything so much. Female human company AND the great outdoors.

Pussy Toes

this plant had

me stumped until I recalled

finding them before!

Shining Firmoss

If I'd had my way, I would have not even gone back to my vehicle. I would have waved a magic wand and become a woodland elf.

That outing relaxed me so much, it lasted through the weekend. I'm so chill right now I could just melt right into the ground and enjoy the misty rainfall.