SPRING
Snow on my front lawn, more snow on the neighbor's roof. Night after night the thermometer dips below freezing. Still, solid evidence exists that spring is on its way.
Tuesday I saw my first trout lily of the season (leaves, no flower yet) and Wednesday the first bloodroot (the flowers, closed tightly, as were the leaves clasping the stalk). Some wild leek were also probing the chill morning air.
Give them a few warm sunny days, and these guys are coming with a vengeance.
Willow Springs Woods Saturday April 14
High winds and forecasts of steady rain (which mostly missed us) made cancellation a tempting option, but we went ahead with our plans, counting on that Joe Neumann mojo I talked about two weeks ago.
While our sole brush pile fire was stubborn as they come, we got a decent patch of brush cleared near the shelter and picnic grove. We also enjoyed the company of three very hardy souls who came for our walking tour (Beth, Dave, and Vanetta) and hung around to chat for a while.
Thanks also to first-time Palos volunteer Colin who stayed 'til three in the afternoon!
Sunday April 15 was a wash, with cancellations at Swallow Cliff (am) and Black Partridge (pm) due to decidedly rain and cold.
Nature Walk With a Librarian Thursday April 18, McClaughrey Springs Woods
We walked again with Jessica Rock and patrons of Palos Park Public Library. We saw numerous spring flowers (trillium, cutleaf toothwort, Virginia waterleaf among them), mostly without flowers, and spotted one small group of spring beauties already blooming.
Snow on my front lawn, more snow on the neighbor's roof. Night after night the thermometer dips below freezing. Still, solid evidence exists that spring is on its way.
Tuesday I saw my first trout lily of the season (leaves, no flower yet) and Wednesday the first bloodroot (the flowers, closed tightly, as were the leaves clasping the stalk). Some wild leek were also probing the chill morning air.
Give them a few warm sunny days, and these guys are coming with a vengeance.
Willow Springs Woods Saturday April 14
High winds and forecasts of steady rain (which mostly missed us) made cancellation a tempting option, but we went ahead with our plans, counting on that Joe Neumann mojo I talked about two weeks ago.
While our sole brush pile fire was stubborn as they come, we got a decent patch of brush cleared near the shelter and picnic grove. We also enjoyed the company of three very hardy souls who came for our walking tour (Beth, Dave, and Vanetta) and hung around to chat for a while.
Thanks also to first-time Palos volunteer Colin who stayed 'til three in the afternoon!
Sunday April 15 was a wash, with cancellations at Swallow Cliff (am) and Black Partridge (pm) due to decidedly rain and cold.
Nature Walk With a Librarian Thursday April 18, McClaughrey Springs Woods
We walked again with Jessica Rock and patrons of Palos Park Public Library. We saw numerous spring flowers (trillium, cutleaf toothwort, Virginia waterleaf among them), mostly without flowers, and spotted one small group of spring beauties already blooming.
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