awkward botany

Last week I enjoyed a solitary walk through Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center and Reserve near Kirkwood, Missouri.  All was fairly quiet.  A gentle, cool breeze swept through the bare tree branches and rattled the brown leaves still clinging to a few stubborn oaks and maples.  Leaf litter decorates the entire forest floor;  it crackles as I step through it.  While the day is still cool (mid 40’s), the Sun’s energy, like the breeze, sweeps past the trees and warms me as I walk.

All is quiet.  But I can feel the change in season coming.  Some trees are beginning to show their plump buds, ready to spring into action.  In just a few weeks, I can imagine the wonderful bluebells (Mertensia virginica –previous post) and wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea – previous post)  emerging again and filling the brown forest floor with brilliant color.

But…