Memorial Day Gathering

A few photos from our annual Memorial Day/Honor our Graduates party...

Wet Weather Hikes

The rain was drizzling down to nothing as we pulled up to the farm... this on a day that promised nothing but gray skies and downpours. The sun was even making a goodwill effort to poke through the clouds and so, with no guarantees, we took a wet weather hike.

This hike was especially magical and life-full. We saw four fresh, shiny-baptized box turtles (two very amorous ones) and many toads. We had butterflies flittering around us the whole way and saw two large pileated woodpeckers and heard and saw many other birds. 

 

The trees glowed green.

As we finished the dragonfly loop trail, the clouds returned and, shortly thereafter, so did the rain, as we raced back to the dry house.

I think wet weather hikes - just after or between storms - may be some of the best. There is a life that pours out of the ground like no other times.

More Spring flowers (mid-April)

 

Lyre-leaved sage (above), all over the field at the farm beginning mid-April.

Trumpet honeysuckle, a favorite of hummingbirds. Spotted along the Turtle Trail on April 20th.

Yarrow begins showing up in the field mid-April. It has beautiful fern-like leaves in addition to lacy white flowers.

First Spring wildflowers, March and April...

Cutleaf Toothwort

Cutleaf toothwort is the first of the spring wildflowers to appear at the farm, usually. They start showing up near the first or second week of March and are all over the hills by mid-April. It's also called Pepper Root and Crinkle Root. It has been used in the past for medicinal purposes.

Mayapple

Mayapples start showing up right about the same time as the cutleaf toothwort, but maybe a week or so afterwards... mid-March. They really start showing their umbrella leaves by the first and middle of May. Here, you can see the young mayapple sprouting out of the ground...

By the end of April and into May, you start seeing the white blooms (often hidden beneath its leaves and then, soon after, the fruit of the mayapple...

 

Spring Beauty

Spring Beauties start appearing towards the end of March. They're tiny, delicate white and pink flowers and scattered here and there throughout the forest.

Star Chickweed 

Star Chickweed starts showing up near the first of April. We've seen it on the creekbanks.

 

Bluets

Bluets are simple, small and easy to identify. They appear in abundance beginning near the end of March.

Early Spring

Early spring beauty...

Signs and Secrets

 "There are secrets and signs out there," he said
"hidden beneath the leaves
and the one who knows where
and when
can find them
when the time is right..."




The time is right for early wildflowers and what not. Any day now. Maybe today.

cut leaf toothwort

spring beauty

daffodil

redbud

black snake

Return of the Spring Peepers

A warm winter day,
brought back the spring peepers
singing songs to the moon