Spring is Blooming!

The Spring flowers are bursting out!
Here is a sweet yellow Violet.

And a lovely purple Violet.

Beautiful Virginia Bluebells!

The Redbud trees are flowering too.

And finally the Trillium!

More Forest Floor Discoveries

While riding this morning, we spotted this shed antler.

And while out walking, I heard a frog singing.
Usually they slip underwater when I approach.
This one remained still so I could snap a picture.

Then as I circled around, I noticed her suitor was nearby.
He was who I had heard singing.

More Wildflowers

This is toothwort, sometimes called pepperwort.
It is a peppery tasting edible.

One of my favorites, the lacy & delicate Dutchman's Breeches.

Spring Beauty, which has strap-like leaves & white, pink veined flowers.
Also called Fairy Spuds, since the corms (roots) are edible.

This is Hepatica or Liverwort, which can be confused with Spring Beauty.
It can have white, pink, lavender, purple or blue flowers.

Hepatica again, showing its 3 lobed pointed leaves.

Strange Black Fungus

I found these strange mushrooms on the trail while looking for wildflowers.

They are black cup fungi.

Spring Wildflowers

The wildflowers are bursting through the soil and covering the forest floor with color.
This is Purple Cress, a plant whose leaves are edible.

This is Bloodroot,
which oozes an orange-red juice or sap when cut.

This is Rue Anemone.
Not to be confused with....

False Rue Anemone.

This is the lovely Trout Lily,
named because the leaf resembles a fish.

We have a new Resident

Meet Jasper.

He's a solid black, 4 year old Missouri foxtrotter.

Here he's saddled up for his first trail ride with me.

I'm looking forward to many more trail rides with him.

Spring rains

Spring rains have transformed the woods from this....

to this.

The heavy rain causes other changes, such as this washout and broken tree on the creek bank.

It provides puddles for the emerging frogs which I hear as I walk in the woods.

And provides plenty of water for the geese and other waterfowl.