Serenity Wood
April 27 was clear and warm, so I ventured into the Serenity Wood to check out the sights and sounds of spring. The initial trail up through a meadow was muddy and full of bushes, from which a blue-winged warbler mocked me with its raspberry call as it successfully hid from me. In this same meadow, I got a good picture of him — or perhaps his father or grandfather — back in 2013, so I was glad to grant him his privacy and move on to the woods.
Along with the opening leaves, a few tiny flowers were pushing up on the forest floor.
I paused to remember photos taken on this bench with my daughters, as well as brown creepers and yellow-rumped warblers we’ve seen in the trees lining this path in previous springs.
Down the hill and to the left, I turned in to the Tree Tunnel, so named by my youngest on our first walk here years ago. It’s dimmer, and to me slightly ominous, when fully leafed out; I like it best in spring, with the fresh, bright green of opening leaves and the light coming in.
From there, I turned and descended to a little bridge over this creek, where two chipmunks chased one another at dizzying speed over this tree that fell across the stream years ago and now seems to have anchored to both banks.
May Apples were sprouting everywhere. The ground was literally carpeted with them. In later May they’ll sport lovely white flowers under those umbrellas.
Many trees were toppled. I don’t remember it being a windy winter overall, but we did have a few very windy days, and they seem to have had a dramatic effect. (Maybe that accounts for so many May Apples — less leaf canopy = more sunlight.)
This one was covered with “wormoglyphics,” as my daughters used to call the exposed worm tracks beneath the bark.
It certainly does have the appearance of mysterious writing!
I walked on along the gorge, listening to the stream and surveying more fallen trees on the banks.
A pair of oven birds flitted worriedly around me, calling out “Teacher teacher TEACHER TEACHER TEACHER TEACHER TEACHER!!!“ I took a few fern photos and moved on.
Just before getting to this boardwalk I met two other walkers. We greeted each other, and as I walked on I heard one say to the other, “Nature is… dirty.” True enough! By this point my shoes were coated with mud, and I was glad to stump along on dry wood for awhile, following this runway back to the parking area.
