Warm and Sunny with Lots of Water Flowing

Took a long walk today. It was positively balmy after so much cold weather. The pond is still covered with ice and this morning was making some bizarre popping and pinging sounds as the ice expanded and contracted in the sun. Near the dam where the water is still flowing there were these cool starburst formations of ice around stumps and sticks.

Down below the dam there is a small water fall and this fun foamy whipped cream pattern caught my eye.

Down on Morgan, where the water has been flowing so delightfully the past couple of months thanks to fall rains following the big drought of summer, the stream is quite clear and here you can see the many colored stones on the bottom, with the dance of dappled light falling over them.

I walked for a solid hour at a decent pace and had to actually take off my jacket towards the end because I was hot! Whew- it’s been a while since I could say that. I'm looking forward to returning to work at The Forest tomorrow, my first day back since before Thanksgiving, but finally it will be warm enough that we can pack a few plants to ship to points south.  Will be glad to get back to a more normal routine again after so many weeks of travel, holiday, sickness and cold.

Welcome Back to the Woods

We took a long walk down by the creek today, first time this fall that we've been down to see what's happening along Morgan.  It's been incredibly dry:

The stream bed of the creek that flows from the pond, no water here for months and still no water here.
But the main creek is finally wet again.  Flowing from the two inches of rain that fell over the past week.  Here you can see the water moving.

This is one of my favorite spots, even when there is almost no water, if it's moving, right here there is a joyful noise of trickling water. That sound feeds my soul, especially after a long dry spell.

There are still spiders working the woods, searching for last suppers before the frost. 

The reflections of sky and trees on water, leaves above, leaves below, were spectacular today.