The smell of spring

Ever notice how every season has, welllll, a different smell? To me, spring mostely smells like damp earth, with a sprinkling of sweetness from the first blueberry flowers. And yeah theres other smells, but...I don't think theres a word do describe them. I found a big patch of high bush blueberries, and man did it smell good! The flowers are such tiny perfect bells! I mentally marked the spot so I can go back and get the berries. Of course the bears love them, so between them and the birds, I might not get any, we'll just have to wait see.

A bit of sunshine

One of my favorite Lilies grow right on the side of the road, and will grow in wooded areas with semi damp soil. The common names for this plant is Trout Lily, or Dogtooth violet. (the Latin name is Erythronium americanum) It derives the name 'Trout lily" from the mottling on the leaves, which resembles the coloring of a Brook Trout. Its a Monocot, and in the Liliaceae (lily) family. The plant blooms April through May, although the plants must be mature enough to bloom. This is what accounts for the fact that you'll find big patches of the spotted leaves, but not too many flowers. I like to saute the leaves in a tad of butter, just for a minute of two. The tubers are also edible, although I have not tried them yet. Trout lily is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the woods. It's actually easy to miss them entirely, the lilies are only around 1-2 inches. I found this particular specimen growing one a riverbank.

The girl who walked alone

The forest is a different place depending on who your with. The more people in the group your with, the less wildlife your going to see. This is a major reason I like to walk in the woods on my own. Having three younger siblings, it's also the only place that's quiet. If I could I'd spend all day exploring, I would! I've learned there is always something interesting out there just waiting to be stumbled across. Some kind of clock is a must bring, otherwise I completely lose track of all time! All the little critters disappear if a larger group of people are thrashing through the woods. Walk alone however, and you'll notice the amount of wildlife everywhere! Today I turned around and looked back on the gently curving path, i realized how...quiet it looked. As if i hadn't walked that path almost every day. Just like life actually, you never know what you'll find walking in the woods.