Birthday Wishes and a Patapsco Valley Hike
Very Happy Belated Birthdays to blslarner and kittyfosterami!!! I hope it was a great birthday week for both of you.
I'm sorry I've been so absent lately. Things have been feeling hectic and busy--some good things, but a lot of stressful things.
But of the good things was the beautiful weather the last couple of days, and the gorgeous hike I went on today with the fun company of
zlabya and a local women's hiking group to the McKeldin area of Patapsco Valley Park, about half way between Baltimore and Westminster.
So let me take you on the trail:
It's lined with little wild flowers, though you can't see them too well in this pic--lots of violets and spring beauties, among others.
And here's the Patapsco River we walked along most of the way:
Our group kept a brisk pace, so I didn't have time to scamper about and get closer to those falls, but
zlabya and I talked about going back on our own sometime when he leaves are all out, so next time.
Lots of lovely moss covered logs, like up ahead on the path here.
And rocks--lots with mica flecks shining pretty in the sun. A couple spots were a bit too challenging for me--I am grateful
zlabya gave me a hand up one steep spot to spare my knee.
Our hike leader was very knowledgeable in wild flowers, so she named some of them for me. This is a trout lily--called the because the leaf, that you can see to the left of the flower, is splotchy speckled like a trout.
These are eastern spring beauties and they lined a good part of our trail.
And this was a blood root bloom on a very steep part of our trail.
I didn't learn the name of these pretty white flowers among the moss here.
Good sized turtles--a good 8 or 10 inches there. The one on the right looked to be a painted turtle, and the one in the middle looked to be a red-eared slider.
Skunk cabbages--some of the first greens to push up int he spring around here, so full and lush.
I look forward to seeing this path when the leaves are full, and then when they are turning in the fall. Today was just a perfect spring day, and this was a perfect way to spend it. And now I'm spent and will sleep good tonight.
I hope taking you on this hike will make up a little bit for my quietness. (((((my flist)))))
Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/195484.html with
comments
I'm sorry I've been so absent lately. Things have been feeling hectic and busy--some good things, but a lot of stressful things.
But of the good things was the beautiful weather the last couple of days, and the gorgeous hike I went on today with the fun company of
zlabya and a local women's hiking group to the McKeldin area of Patapsco Valley Park, about half way between Baltimore and Westminster.
So let me take you on the trail:
It's lined with little wild flowers, though you can't see them too well in this pic--lots of violets and spring beauties, among others.
And here's the Patapsco River we walked along most of the way:
Our group kept a brisk pace, so I didn't have time to scamper about and get closer to those falls, but
zlabya and I talked about going back on our own sometime when he leaves are all out, so next time.
Lots of lovely moss covered logs, like up ahead on the path here.
And rocks--lots with mica flecks shining pretty in the sun. A couple spots were a bit too challenging for me--I am grateful
zlabya gave me a hand up one steep spot to spare my knee.
Our hike leader was very knowledgeable in wild flowers, so she named some of them for me. This is a trout lily--called the because the leaf, that you can see to the left of the flower, is splotchy speckled like a trout.
These are eastern spring beauties and they lined a good part of our trail.
And this was a blood root bloom on a very steep part of our trail.
I didn't learn the name of these pretty white flowers among the moss here.
Good sized turtles--a good 8 or 10 inches there. The one on the right looked to be a painted turtle, and the one in the middle looked to be a red-eared slider.
Skunk cabbages--some of the first greens to push up int he spring around here, so full and lush.
I look forward to seeing this path when the leaves are full, and then when they are turning in the fall. Today was just a perfect spring day, and this was a perfect way to spend it. And now I'm spent and will sleep good tonight.
I hope taking you on this hike will make up a little bit for my quietness. (((((my flist)))))
Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/195484.html with
comments