Maybe, just maybe, since the past two days have been sunny and almost warm, the Trailing Arbutus might just have started to bloom. I know where some grows on the shore of Moreau Lake, so that's where I went today. The start of my hike around the lake was not exactly auspicious for finding flowers in bloom, since the snow still lay heavy in the woods and on the road.
The eastern shore of the lake, however, was free of snow and offered a dry and sun-warmed path for my feet.
With the ice now withdrawn a few yards from shore, I could see through the crystal-clear water to intricate mosaics of beautifully colored stones.
In some places, a paper-thin sheet of new ice covered the stones, transforming that colorful mosaic into an Impressionist painting with thickly daubed brushstrokes.
I found that patch of Trailing Arbutus just where I remembered it, its leathery green leaves still intact after spending the winter under the snow. I lifted a leaf or two and promptly discovered some clusters of still-closed buds. No flowers yet. But any day now. If only it stays warm.
I went walking down through the fields here yesterday, keeping an eye out for anything green. I had trillium in mind. But it's still too early, I guess . . . the only white I saw was patches of leftover snow.
ReplyDeleteAh - hope in the form of a trailing arbutus. Here in the Berkshires the snow has retreated (except for the heaps in my back yard) and the wee white blossoms of the snowdrop are poking through the leaf mulch.
ReplyDeleteI very much enjoyed my journey through your blog posts.
Where do you live, June, that you might see trilliums this early? I have seen the red ones by mid-April, but the whites don't bloom where I live until the end of April or early May. How welcome the sight of them will be, after this long cold winter.
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you, Pauline. So nice to make your acquaintance. My readers can meet you, too, by clicking on your name and finding the way to either of your most interesting blogs.