Native Azaleas

The Native Azaleas have been beautiful this year.....(click on the Full Screen Mode at bottom right!)

Spring Wildflowers 2012

                                                      Spring Wildflowers 2012

     A walk around today looking for the spring wildflowers!  It's been a strange year...a very warm winter and early spring, but it seems as though the wildflowers aren't enjoying the warmer temperatures! Early spring wildflowers, like Hepatica, began blooming in February, but they were nipped by a cold spell.  Very few are blooming now.  Bloodroot and Trillium seem stunted and fewer than usual. I'll keep watching.  The treasure hunt is just beginning!

                                            ....and an early flying wildflower!

Preparing for the Storm

There is an unsettled feeling this morning.  Storms are suppose to move in overnight.  One of the jobs here at The Cabin Path is to make sure that the spillway (overflow creek) of the lake is open and flowing.  In the last few years, this has not been a problem because of the drought. Also, a neighbor thinned the beaver population ( not my idea!...), so I did not have to constantly undo his handy work before every rain. Well, we've had rain, and we have a new beaver, so I noticed on my walk yesterday that he had once again stopped up the spillway!

Not that bad, just some sticks and packed mud, but it was enough to stop the flow of the water, and we are  in for a night of heavy rain! I removed the sticks first, and the mud can then be dug out.

(My pile of sticks..notice the chewed ends)

Of course I had my helpers, Jessie, Dahli, Maddie, and Jack!!

Jack is the supervisor...he doesn't really like to get his feet wet!

After some digging, the water is once again flowing!!!

Meanwhile, the dogs have found one of the beaver's escape holes just down from the beaver dam....and they are digging.  One day, maybe I can channel their efforts to help me!!

It feels stormy, and the wind is blowing, but I love to watch the water....

one more task checked off.... with a little help from my friends!