Green Comes To The Forest

I've gone back to my everyday hiking trail after almost a week today. After all of the rain we've had, I wanted to see if there were any changes to the forest there. Other places have been beginning to show green colors on almost everything. Would this place that seems to wake up just a little later do the same?

To my surprise, the signs of spring are everywhere. It's been raining and it's been cold. But rain brings life, and that is exactly what it did here. The early colors of spring are everywhere out here. Grass looks to be quite a bit greener than it was before. The vernal ponds are much fuller, which is very good for frogs and toads, and maybe quite a few other kinds of life.

The picture above is a place that I pass by on every trip through here. I take a picture from this same spot almost every time. All of those green plants weren't there only a short week ago. I love seeing this particular spot, but I've never shared it before because a picture never seems to do it justice. Also, I didn't want to bring you the dull brown scenes.

In my eyes, this place looks like a giant natural hallway. It's not a path or a trail of any kind, but the trees line up to the sides of this fantasy hallway like huge pillars. Sometimes the sun is in just the right place to illuminate this magical hall in such a way that I think if I follow it I might find myself in a fantasy world. The picture doesn't show it. I think maybe only I can see it.

Here's more of the green plants that are beginning to grow all over the forest. Soon they will fill this whole area to make the forest a dark but beautiful place. The darkness of the forest brings me comfort, almost like being wrapped in a warm, soft blanket. That wonderful green darkness is finally coming back to me.

I would have brought you pictures of some of the newest animal discoveries I've made in the last week, but this green in the forest is where my mind exists right now. I really didn't know how much I missed it until I saw it today. This is why Spring is my favorite time of year. It brings back the warmth and protection of my forests. The true beauty and peace that I see in nature is coming back.