A Quest For Signs of Spring

[Mistwalker]

Yesterday afternoon Alayna and I decided it was a good day to get out of the house for a while so we went off on a quest for signs of Spring. First we went for a ride down the river road checking out the gorge. We stopped at the boat ramp to watch the big boat going by.

You can see the how the green is starting to pop out on the lower trees, but the upper trees are still mostly bare.

Then Alayna got really distracted looking up at the top of the mountain on our side of the river.

Ya know, when your little girl turns and looks at you eyes all sparkly, face all beaming, excitedly and happily shouting “look daddy, castles!” it's a high all it's own

And I guess to her mind they really are

As soon as we hit the woods Alayna found her an ‘iking stick

And after all the rain of course the second thing she found was water to throw rocks into

At first the only signs of new life we saw were new growth on the lower scrub brush on the briars.

Then we found a few flowers all having to bloom early to beat the leaf canopy that is to come.

There are a lot of Holly Trees in this area too

Alayna found where a squirrel had been munching on some hickory nuts

and while I was taking pictures Alayna found another puddle and with her usual “leave no puddle unrippled” philosophy proceeded to pummel it with every small stone, stick, and nut she could find near by.

I found what I’m told may be Black Cherry Trees.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Prunuse.htm


I’ll have to keep an eye open later to know for sure.

All in all it was a very enjoyable day out in the woods.

 

[TeeDee]

Nice post . I always seem to enjoy your little jaunts.

Carry on.

 

[Glosfisher]

Lovely violets; ours have come out in the last week in the garden.

I'm always fascinated by the way that there are very similar plants and animals filling very similar niches on either side of the Atlantic. Take the three flowers Mistwalker photographed - violets (yep, we've got those in very similar woodland settings); something that looks a lot like wood anemones over here; the third one is unlike any woodland plant I know but appears to be a member of the pea/vetch family.

Also, the holly trees - native or introduced?

 

[Mesquite]

Thanks for the pics MW, looks like you had a grand day out with your daughter. As TeeDee said I too enjoy the stories of your wanderings around Tennesee, it looks a lovely place to live

 

[Shewie]

Great pics again MW

We go raiding black cherries from a local golf club every year, yummy

 

[stooboy]

Nice post . I always seem to enjoy your little jaunts.

Carry on.

Yes love your out and about posts

 

[scrubcutter]

Great post and great kid.

Would love to read a story about a trip to the woods from her point of view! Everything is new and exciting.

Thank you.

 

[Singeblister]

nice post mist looks like you two had a good day

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks all I am glad you enjoy the little adventures, I sure do

Great pics again MW

We go raiding black cherries from a local golf club every year, yummy

I was under the impression that Black Cherries are poisonous...or at least parts of them.

 

[traderran]

Looking good Bry

 

[Mistwalker]

Looking good Bry

Thanks Ran

 

[Mistwalker]

Also, the holly trees - native or introduced?

Thanks, I love seeing posts from different parts of the world for the same reasons.


I'm not sure really, I'll have to look, if introduced it wasn't recent, I used to climbe some of the larger ones when I was a kid eons ago.