| The
Promise of Spring Kiroli Strolls IX:5 Copyright 2003, Newton Caldwell The weekend was filled with the promise of spring. A warm front had worked its way into our area, and we were enjoying shirtsleeve weather. I was also finally feeling a lot more like a human being than I had felt for a period of over four weeks. I kept my eyes peeled for the first emerging wildflowers. As I drove past the Gatehouse, I noticed tulip leaves had risen among the pansies in the flower beds at the side of the entrance road. I took this as a good omen. I saw a few butterweeds blooming beside the road and expected to find them in the park at their usual early location behind the Plant Conservatory. I also expected to find henbit in full flower. I even fantasized about spying some yellow jessamine in the tree tops. The park was a busy place. People were all over enjoying the grounds. I was a bit surprised to find the holiday tree still standing. Part of the green wrapping had been removed, but higher up it remained. I got parked and gathered my gear. Since I had been so long between visits, I did not expect to be greeted by the bushy-tailed beggars. Another reason that they'd stay hidden is because many people had brought along dogs. The trail was about as bleak as I had remembered it from my last visit. No pussy toes were up yet. Not a single violet had shown itself in the open area of Til's Trail. I stopped at the Jack-in-the-pulpit patch where the first of those flowers bloom. No trace was to be found. I continued my walk to the little wooden span over the dry wash. There, in a space that had been recently flushed clear of leaves, I saw my first harbinger of things to come. May-apple shoots were pushing up through the ground, but they were only about an inch high thus far. After I crossed the twin bridges on the outside loop of the trail, I began searching for signs of spring cress. There were two or three sets of leaves, but no stalks and no flowers were in evidence. When I got to the Observation Tower I found signs that huckleberries would soon burst into flower. Tiny buds were popping out on the tips of the green branches. I went through the Covered Bridge and was looking down at the stream that feeds the creek from the side. I felt myself get hit by a small, but solid object. I looked up to see a flock of robins in the tallow trees that grow by the boardwalk. They were busily eating all the berries that remained on the branches. I watched the process. A bird would reach out, grasp a berry it its beak, and give its wings a bit of a flutter as it tore that morsel loose from its stem. When that bit was consumed, the process was repeated. Several birds were busily clearing the trees of the remaining food that they bore. I suppose these actions also give a pretty good indication of why there are so many tallow trees in the park and why more sprout up every year. I walked to the Wetlands Trail. As I passed the front pond I saw the geese. Several people were endeavoring to interest the birds in food, but the birds were either filled up or in one of their sillier moods. They were not cooperating with any of their hopeful benefactors. The boardwalk was devoid of any life. I almost always find an insect or spider running along the boardwalk's top rail, but this visit yielded nothing. When I exited the wooden walkway, I checked the nearby trash receptacle. There was the same little anole that I've found on several occasions - basking in the warmth and ignoring my presence. As I left the Wetlands Trail I looked back toward the geese. A new set of people were once again trying to get them to eat. The gaggle has shrunk by almost half from a high of 19. All were now paddling around in the water - still showing no interest in anything but isolation. I took the fisherman's trail through the woods As I was stepping across the small arch that is placed over an inlet, I looked down to the place where I'd seen a yellow-bellied watersnake in a recent visit. I found it again. It wasn't sunning itself this time. It was resting with about four inches of its body outside a hole in the bank. When it saw me, it quickly pulled itself back out of my sight. My friend and I were walking not long ago. She asked me where snakes went in the winter. I gave her the flippant reply of Florida. Now I know at least where one species spends its winter - in a burrow underground. I suspect the remainder of them do likewise. I ended my walk sitting at the current feeding table. I was daydreaming about something when I noticed that I'd been joined by a squirrel that was also sitting on the end of the bench. I gave it a greeting and reached into my pocket for a peanut. My motion scared it off the bench, but it didn't go far away. It returned and took the treat when it saw my outstretched hand. The episode with the squirrel put the proper finishing touches on an outstanding visit. The promise of spring was not yet fulfilled, but I felt it was soon to occur. I have at last learned the reason for my long illness. I tested positive for antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus. That is the same viral agent that is sometimes associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. My brush with this debilitating bug seems to be at an end. I will not miss it. You have probably noticed that I have a new Website. It was designed and assembled by a good friend who lives in North Carolina. Her name is Lynette Shaull. She is not only brilliant, but generous with her valuable time and her assistance is deeply appreciated. You may see the new pictures at http://home.earthlink.net/~memudge/index.html. |
Home | Back Issues | Trail | Critters | Plants | Whatzit? | Links
