Spring Walk; Spring Flowers

This has just been the best day! We were on our way out the door when my love called to say he was taking a break from splitting wood. He popped over for a couple hours - just to say hello. A card from Mom, my love saying hello and a gorgeous day for a hike. Life doesn't get much better than that!

Pictured here is Coltsfoot getting ready to go to seed. This clump is in the direct sun and therefore a bit further along in the maturation process. When Coltsfoot go to seed they closely resemble Dandelions - a bit more graceful perhaps. You can always tell them apart by looking at the stem. The stem of the Coltsfoot has leaves all the way to the flower head.

This dainty little grass has a pretty yellow flower. Absolutely no idea what name it answers to. Pretty none-the-less. You'll have to look very closely at your surroundings to see this little plant. Below is a picture of my fingers behind it to give you a sense of scale. Let's just say that one finger section equals one inch. Tiny, tiny.

Sometimes looking around while tying your shoe sometimes pays off.

I am so grateful that my Grandfather taught me to notice the leaves of plants and remember them. This my friends is wild columbine that's just broken through the leaf mulch. In another week or so it'll have a nice bright reddish orange flower. Will start checking every few days so as not to miss that. Haven't seen any Wild Columbine since moving South in 2000. It's good to be home.

Skunk cabbage. Isn't it neat how the leaves are being held together by a fallen leaf? This plant is only about ten inches tall - they grow much bigger. I'll take another photo when the flowers emerge. Again - another week or so.

This is a May Apple. Highly poisonous. It grows about a foot tall and the leaves spread out flat like an umbrella over the blossom. The blossom is yellow and looks 'waxy'. I'll have to check in a few days 'cause this plant doesn't bloom very long.

Grandfather always called this 'trout leaf'. It's really called Trout Lily - guess 'cause the leaves are spotted like a brown trout.

This is one you'll have to expand to see clearly. I'm guessing the weed in the water is water cress, but that's really a wild guess. I didn't want to get too close (it was pretty far off the path). I thought the way the sun played off the stagnant whatever-it-is on top off that muddy bottom was really pretty. In a 'Spawn' kind of way.

That's all for now. Took 76 pictures. Will sift through and find the best to post tomorrow.

Sweet dreams y'all.