Spring ... in the ravine
Despite that the low last night was minus-4 C (25 F) spring has finally come to the ravine. By the time we got out for our daily jaunt in the ravine the temperature had risen to plus-6 C (50 F) and we needed only light jackets. We had full sun filtering through the forest, and although there is still plenty of snow pack left on the ground, and ice too in places, the trails and hillsides are beginning to dry nicely, except where there's lots of mud still. But this is the first time this spring when we've worn our hiking boots, leaving our winter boots and strap-on cleats behind. Our two companions, a miniature black female poodle and a toy apricot male poodle (with far more of his share of testosterone than his size warrants) were able to hike with us uncoated finally. No longer does the black one feel humiliated to be wearing winter coat and boots - and the apricot one doesn't much mind either way.The squirrels are now running madly up and down the pine trees, after one another, causing our two dogs no end of anguish, since they simply cannot catch up to them. Mostly black ones; we prefer the grey squirrels and delight in seeing the tiny, territorially scolding red squirrels. We see chick-a-dees and their constant companion, a nuthatch, creeping up tree trunks, looking for insects. Also, finally, robins! Cardinals, bluejays, and a great Pileated woodpecker, serenade us. The crows are mobbing and shouting their uncouth language, and occasionally we hear the hoarse cry of a raven circling overhead. From time to time we hear and see small flocks of Canada geese coming back to the north. And what's this!? The dogs are dashing madly before us, and tree a young racoon, and we wonder if it's the one who visits our backyard composters so regularly. He's welcome, takes what he wants, unscrewing the top of the composters with no apparent difficulty, and leaving no mess behind.
The huge willows already have their leaf buds, as do the early-leafing poplars. Nothing to be seen yet on maples, oak and ash. The pines, spruce and fir look greener than ever. The hawthornes, first to lose their leaves in the fall, are nowhere near leafing, nor are the Serviceberries. Sumachs are fuzzy but not yet ready to surrender to spring. It's been a very cold winter, we've had a lot of ice build-up, let alone snowpack. Strawberry greens are already in evidence aside the trails. It will be some time yet before we see our scarlet trilliums, foamflower, trout lilies and Jack-in-the-pulpits. The heat of the sun bakes the pine needles and the fragrance envelopes us.
Yesterday we saw a lovely orange butterfly. Early, we think. Was it a Fritallery? For the past several days we've seen Mourning Cloaks - oddly confined to those areas of the trails where we usually do see them in the spring. We see the occasional bug or fly pass us, and even a mosquito or two.
Once in a while, but not too often, we come across someone else walking a dog. Yesterday it was the (very red) Golden Retriever, Reese, with his mistress. Reese hunkers down on the trail waiting for us to clamber up the hill toward where they are, awaiting our rise. After greeting, Reese sniffs one of my pockets and begs. What else? for a begging strip (chicken flavour) and our two then do the same so strips are dutifully doled out. Reese races down the hill, his mistress close after him, and the dog plunges into the cold, cold creek for his daily ablution. Ours are not permitted to do this, as our little black one once cut one of her back legs badly in the creek, presumably on a piece of broken bottle. Besides which, the creek is running pretty high with the meltwater and the result of recent rains.
We feel ourselves to be fortunate beyond compare to be able to enjoy this little bit of heaven.
When we first moved into this house, we could barely believe our good fortune in being so close to miles of forested trails. The proximity of the ravine to our home bespeaks the quality of life that means so much to us.
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, April 13, 2005
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