Walking Awakening...

Despite the relatively mild winter, I am over the moon that spring... GLORIOUS SPRING... is setting in!  My mom has a saying, "Don't count the chicks before the eggs hatch."  And it's true... the weather here is unpredictable and at a moment's notice, it could be snowing again.  It is not uncommon to get the cold, white stuff in April!  Even still, I cannot begin to fully capture just how thrilled I am to shrug off winter's mantle and embrace a warmer season.

 The earth feels like it's coming alive again.  I feel the same way.  It was like even though I was walking around and functional (at least resembling functional) most of the winter, a sheet was pulled over my eyes and everything was foggy.  Along with the pops of color and sprouting vegetation, it seems like the fog is lifting and I'm regaining some clarity and focus.  Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I feel renewed and energized.

 The day was so nice and the sun was out when I got home that I decided to go for a walk.  The sheer idea of walking around in winter makes me tired.  Heavy shoes.  Heavy clothes.  Slow progress.  Wet socks.  Cold feet.  Aching joints.  Not very alluring to me.  I'd rather stay cooped up.

But with spring peaking up through the patchwork of brown leaves, I feel recharged and get excited about exploring and walking around.

 One such discovery while exploring was this bleached out deer skull.  Not too long ago, the stark white would have been lost amongst the erasure of snow, but it stands out amongst the nearly neon moss and rich, earthy browns... maybe as a last vestige of winter's tale.

 All of the ice has melted and the creeks and rivulets are swollen with snowmelt.  I like the healthy trickle as the water snakes along the property.  One thing that I noticed was that there is a lot of slate in the creek-beds and as the water tumbles down the small waterfalls, there's almost a hollow drumming as the water hits the stones.

 The undergrowth in the woods has yet to get out of control and it is still easy to navigate between the trees, off the beaten path.  In a few months, this won't be the case.  It'll be so full of foliage that it'll be hard to see where you're walking, let alone getting through the network of brambles and thorny vines.

In the meantime, it's easy to survey the forest floor.  I discovered some Scarlet Caps.  It wasn't so hard.  Even though they're relatively small, this fungi is brightly colored and stands out!  It is also a sign that spring is well underway!

 Above is a shot of another waterfall on the property.  I like that wherever there is water, the moss is vivid green.  Everything else is fairly monotone.  The moss looks like a giant serpent working its way through the tress.

 The waterfalls have to end up somewhere.  And this is the creek that all the water feeds into on the property.  The water was a strange color of blue and green, which is probably due to the purity of the snowmelt.  Even though it's a world away, I am still reminded of the waters of Hawaii... a swirl of cobalt and aquamarine.

It started to get dark and the shadows started to lengthen and thicken.  I decided that it was time for my walk to come to an end.  It did not end without a farewell from some forest friends.  This back-lit deer, with a seemingly carved out silhouette, stood watch as I made my way out of the woods.