Inside on a rainy afternoon
It wasn’t raining when I took this photo earlier this month. In fact, it was a beautiful sunny day, one of many we’ve had since my last post. We’ve had some rainy days, too—and an April Fool’s Day high of 41 and lows in the 20s several days later. We’ve had plenty of rain, too, including a record daily rainfall as I wrote my last post. You can see the changes in the river in the video. (BTW, if you’d like to see these videos and others I never get around to posting, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel here.)
My daily rambles are full of spring’s beauty. More and more trees are blooming and/or budding out, and wildflower blossoms surprise me almost daily.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra), Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), another Cut-leaved Toothwort, another Bloodroot, Sweet Crabapple (Malus coronaria), Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea) American Plum (Prunus americana)
It’s breeding season for the Wild Turkeys (although some of the ones around here aren’t too wild). I hear big Tom gobbling off and on most days, and sometimes I watch as he struts to impress the hens.
The deer are shaggy and skinny; I can see that some of the does are pregnant They are beginning to find more to eat in the woods, but there is almost always a crowd when I go down in the mornings. I often see them headed somewhere else in the Hollow as I walk. Sometimes they don’t return to the meadow until after dark; then they miss an easy evening meal if I’ve already closed up the house.
It’s been raining steadily since I started writing this but fortunately let up a little when I went down to feed the deer. Later I stayed in the house and just watched as two tom turkeys put on a show for a couple of hens; maybe I’ll get a video another time. I thought about adding some photos of my apple trees and the Blackhaw Viburnums (Viburnum prunifolium) and American (or maybe Chickasaw [Prunus angustifolia]) Plums near the house, but the heavy rain made me change my mind. I’m hoping it lets up soon so I can bring in the birdfeeders (in case a bear decides to visit). As for now, it’s time for evening chores and a glass of wine, so I’ll leave you with this.
French Broad Hollow Ramble 