Quieting Life

Woodland Walk: May

I finished my latest work project yesterday and celebrated by taking my camera and the dog out for a prolonged wander in the woods. It's the height of wildflower season, and magical little beauties are everywhere. It's amazing how different one season is from the next; last year, the hobblebush (viburnum) was in riot mode, with abundant bloom like I've never seen before, and the Pink Lady's Slippers were shy and scarce. This year, I found one single bloom on a hobblebush by the creek, but the Lady's Slippers are prolific. Perhaps the hobblebush needs an extended period of cold to initiate bloom – and we certainly didn't get that this year.

I'm still learning my woodland plants, and have identified those I know in the photographs. If any of you can help identify the unknowns, feel free to school me in the comments. Pictures galore after the jump...

Wildlife Hazards

Our dog Macy got 'quilled' the other night. I'll spare my readers the discomfort and my dog the indignity of displaying pictures (which I don't have anyway, since only a heartless freak would have spent critical minutes documenting such a thing), and instead give you a picture of herself on a happier day.

The woods that surround us are full of the usual characters; I've personally witnessed deer, moose, bear, mink, fox, hawks, owls, groundhogs, and porcupines, and I've heard coyotes close enough to raise my neck hairs. Macy patrols the grounds freely – untethered, no fence – and her mere presence (her bark, scent, and lightning speed) is mostly enough to keep the wild things from encroaching.