This past week I've been out walking the hills and hollers around home and enjoying the beauty of the springtime woods here in mid Missouri. A few years ago I'd have made the same walks without a second thought or stopping to catch my breath but since then a few things have changed, the main one being that these hills aren't hills anymore. Somehow they've all grown into mountains while I wasn't looking.
But in spite of all my huffing and puffing and wheezing as I made my way through the tangled bottoms along the river, up and down the hills, and along the ridges, I had a wonderful time and was able to get some much needed practice with my new camera as I tried to capture the beauty that Mother Nature has put on display for her spring performance. I won't tell you how many pictures I took or how many were rejects but I am learning , slowly, a little more all the time about the camera and was even able to come up with a few that I hope you will enjoy. You don't even have to pull these hills to see them, just jump that little squiggly thing and you'll be right in the middle of things.
It's hard to have a favorite wild flower since every one is a thing of beauty but if I had to pick a favorite these bluebells might just be the ones I'd choose.
Bloodroot is a beautiful little flower that normally blooms for only one day. Native Americans used it to make red dye.
Yellow violets aren't as abundant as some of our other wildflowers but always a delight to come across one here and there as you walk along.
Trilliums aren't as eye catching but add their own quiet beauty to the mix.
Dutchman's Breetches were a favorite of my mom's and because of that I think they are the first wildflower I learned to recognize as a youth.
Spring Beauties are everywhere but you never grow tired of seeing them.
White Dogtooth violets are found both in the bottoms and further up on the hillsides but they are not plentiful anywhere.
Sweet Williams are the common name of these beauties but I believe they are better known as Blue Phlox
I wish I had a rock garden just like this one.
When two or three different types grow together they enhance each other.
Buttercups look like they have just been waxed and polished.
Mrs.burnt out, our granddaughter,and I went out for a short walk today and we found a few more wildflowers that I didn't have when I made this diary and I decided to add a couple of them. The next two pictures are both Birdsfoot violets. They come in two different color variations as shown. Mrs. burnt out calls them Roosters and Hens.
This morning in my email I found that I had been given a gift subscription to Daily Kos!
Per the generous gifters wish; I shall only refer to him/her as an anonymous old soul that says, "The greatest joy is found in the 'paying it forward' to others". So here I will just say ,Thank you so much for your generous gift and thoughtfulness. It is much appreciated .
Besides the wildflowers springing up right and left there are many other signs of spring here in mid Mo. I saw the first snapping turtle of the year this morning in the shallow pond across the road and also noticed that the first green shoots of the cattails have made their way above the surface. Our toads have been calling for several days but this morning I found the first strings of eggs in our little yard pond. I haven't found any morels yet but have heard of a few being found by others.Tell us what is happening in your neck of the woods.