Today had it all but warmth: snow, gropple, a little sun, and rain. On Saturday at 9am we will be hosting our annual wild flower walk with Greg MacGee leading the walk from the Guppy Farm kiosk. It is also opening day of turkey season. The walk will take place along the gully trail and Greg will warn any hunters before hand. If you go, you will see this long spurred violets growing along the trail.

Many patches of May apples are up and budding.

A showy carpet of trillium await all who walk the waterfall trail at Guppy Farm. It is a truly beautiful display in areas on either side of the trail.

I need help from the viewers of the blog. I know these two masses are the spawn of some sort of frog or salamander but which is which? Any ideas? Please remember that while I do this posting I am hoping to start a dialog with all who use the conservation areas and what they are experiencing. This is for all of us to share sitings.

These little spring beauties (a fitting name) were blooming today on the southwest facing slope going up the hill on the red trail at the O'Loughlin property.

I continued up the hill, skirted the capped landfill, and came down the trail onto the O'Loughlin property. I was horrified to find that someone had lit a fire on the bridge. What could be the point of partially burning this structure created by the YCIP group? Fire should be contained to the fire ring on the conservation lands.

This cheery group of wake robins greeted me on the way in on the Bob Sykes trail.

Walked up the hill at Guppy with a friend who was helping in the training of a search and rescue dog. He left paper towels with his scent at various intersections to allow Boomer, the dog in training, to find him when the dog arrived later. The escaped vinca is in full bloom and indicates an area of the property which at one time had a home. The hillside is is quite spectacular with the vinca carpet.

It was a day of early blooming trees and bushes. Here is spice bush. So much color in the woods due to the recent warm weather.

Where did the warmth go? A cold wind followed me today. Found serviceberry in bloom on the yellow trail off the Bob Sykes trail on Guppy road.

Went walking at the Guppy Farm and along the edges of the trail saw many flowers. Here are some bloodroot.

Hadn't been out to the properties since Good Friday and the change was amazing! So many wildflowers. Here are trout lilies.

Found these hepatica flowers just off the trail at the O'Loughlin property.