Our Rain Forest

Looking up into the blue sky today to view some of the ferns growing in the plush moss up a tree trunk, I was reminded of the orchids I had seen a number of years ago growing from the tree trunks while hiking in a forest on the island of Nosy Be off the coast of Madagascar. Whether in the tropics or the Pacific Northwest, both are beautiful rain forests with an abundance of plush growth.

More flowering shrubs brighten our walk along the trail today.

Both geese and ducks swim over to great us as we pass our favorite pond.

For a little change in route today, we took the left turn after passing through the tunnel and hiked in the forest preserve adjacent to the Big Rock Gardens Park. I get just a little lost on the narrow trails in that particular woods so often just meander around randomly, taking left turns and right turns, until I feel we've gone in far enough. Then I turn around so we can work our way back out through the winding trail system until we reach the edge of those woods and our original trailhead.

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Today one of the turns we took led us to this beautiful portion of the trail with a lovely, natural canopy. Though not visible in my photos, this canopy of branches shows tiny leaf buds soon to open.

Always fascinated with the different types of mosses and lichens in our forests, I must locate an identification book to carry in my pack. Not certain whether these furry growths are moss or lichen, I enjoy their beauty in the sunlight along the trail today.

On the way back, we took a minute to walk down to the shore at the far end of the duck pond to get a better look at the yellow skunk cabbages starting to show their Spring colors. My camera caught a very reflective image. I shall now call this the "reflective" end of the pond!


Here is a slideshow with more highlights from today's walk.

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One more beautiful day to be out dog walking!

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