Apr 13 2010
The First Flowers
I went for a hike yesterday hoping to find some spring peepers. After all, it’s that time of year. I know of a few small ponds right next to the Rail Trail where they thrive. So made a beeline for them, encouraged by the appearance of a couple turtles in wetlands along the way. But the ponds were quiet when I reached them. None of those joyous little frogs were around.
Much to my surprise, I found purple trillium in bloom instead. At first I thought I was imagining things. The broad leaves of that wildflower do unfurl in mid-April, but the flowers usually remain tight-fisted until May. Not this year. With the season a good two weeks ahead of schedule, the trillium flowers have opened up. Just nature’s way of saying there is no hard and fast schedule, I suppose. Not that I’m complaining. Spring can never come too early for me.
A bit later, I found trout lily in full bloom, along with a little patch of spring beauty. I dropped down on my knees and stuck my nose in those tiny, candy-striped flowers. One good whiff of spring beauty and everything changes. Suddenly nature has unfolded in all its wonder and wild beauty, and I am a complete dope for it. One good whiff of that intoxicating scent and an entire winter’s worth of existential angst pops like a balloon.
What was I thinking about? I forgot. But through the woods a flash of bright green caught my eye so I headed that direction. On a south-facing slope, of course, more wildflowers bloomed in a sprawling patch of leeks. I dropped to my knees for a second whiff of spring beauty but the pungent odor of wild onions overwhelmed the sweeter smell. Amid the leeks, Dutchman’s breeches arose, along with round-lobed hepatica. No doubt about it, spring has come early this year.
I suppose I should be concerned. There have been enough late autumns and early springs in recent years to make even the most hardened skeptic consider climate change. But right now, I can’t go there. Right now, all I see are wildflowers in bloom and the beginning of another growing season. Right now I see the forest turning green again, slowly coming back to life after a long sleep, and all I can do is rejoice like peepers reveling in the season.
Maybe next time out I’ll hear those little frogs. But for now, the first flowers are more than enough.
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