Winter days drag on

Wintery weather returned today with cold rain and a threat of snow that never materialized, which is fine by me.  Enough already, lets get on with spring.  By my gauge we are about 2 weeks behind normal in terms of plants leaving dormancy.  There isn't a sign of a grey-green speckled trout lily leaf pushing up yet and the daffodils that always bloom around Valentines day are still in bud, not a peep of golden yellow yet to be seen.

Guess I just have to be patient and continue enjoying the winter landscape a while longer.  One of my pleasures of winter is studying the tree trunks, all of the idiosynchrocies and strange shapes in the trunks, roots and branches come to life when there is no green around to mask or distract from the framework of the forest.

Here's one of my favorites, it grows down near the confluence of Tilley's Branch and Morgan.  Who knows what caused this collection of small burls, all of them on the downstream, south facing side of the trunk.  There's something playful in them that catches my eye when I pass by.

And if there is nothing else to amuse, the cows are always enchanting in their warm browns and white, their long eyelashes batting over their huge eyes, their topknots looking stylishly unkempt.  They find us a curiosity too and come close to see what we are up to with the camera.

Watch out for that hot wire Addie!