Rock Garden, Woodland Sprites

I went over to the Hudson at Moreau today, hoping to find the river relaxed enough for me to paddle in it, but no, it was still way too rowdy, still flooding the banks and roaring over all the gates of the Spier Falls Dam. Ah, well. Another day. In the meantime, I enjoyed exploring the boulders across the road from the dam, whose nooks and crannies, dampened by tiny rills and springs, were a veritable rock garden, alive with many different plants. Here, the snowy blooms of Early Saxifrage and cushions of bright green moss decorate the craggy rocks.

Another kind of moss with translucent leaves clings to a crease in the rocks, forming a base for a mini-garden that includes a few sprigs of bedstraw, as well as saxifrage.

This islet of Early Saxifrage is accompanied by a moss hedgehog.

We have so many species of bedstraw, I can't keep them straight, nor can I find most of them in my Newcomb's. All share the same trait of leaves circling the stem, as they do on this bright-green bedstraw with sturdy stalks. Can anyone tell me the species?

Round-leaved Gooseberry inhabits these rocks, as well. I shall have to return to see if I can find some ripe berries, but birds usually eat them before they are ripe enough for my taste.

I next drove to the end of Potter Road to find my way through the woods to the river. Descending the trail, I was enchanted by how all the Striped Maple buds had opened into what looked like clouds of fairies, dressed in pink and spreading bright-green wings to the light.

Ah, there are so many ways the world finds to be beautiful! We don't need a magic wand to find enchantment in the forest.