More Spring

  This seems to be an amazingly colorful spring. Maybe it's just lasting longer because the weather has stayed cool, holding the leaves in bud longer.

Cathy and I took a walk today at Scottville Riverside Park. We weren't trying for any big distance- actually we were trying to follow the cross-country race course that winds through the park. This picture is just along one of the old berms from the treatment ponds. I like the line of white-barked aspens on the left.

This ornamental crabapple sure is pretty.

There is a backlog of spring pictures from earlier in the week. Along the trail, I ran into a few small goldthread, Coptis trifolia. Although it grows in almost every county in Michigan, it's a little surprising to see it along the trail in the Manistee NF, because it likes damper conditions than most of the dry sandy ground along the trail. This isn't a great specimen; it usually grows in thick patches, often mixed with moss. The leaves to the right of the flower, and dead center, bottom are the ones for this plant. Interestingly enough, the white is not the petals, but the sepals. The actual petals are the yellow. It gets its name because it has fine, thread-like roots that are bright yellow.

Finally, I love sassafras in the spring. OK, I love it in any season. If you are driving along and see bright yellow-green buds reaching for the sunlight on up-curving twigs, it's probably sassafras.

The flower buds are just beginning to open.

In other news: I edited in the morning. Walked in the afternoon and remembered to go to bell choir practice. Plan to work on the Newaygo County Data Book some more this evening.

Scottville Riverside Park, Scottville, MI. Cross Country course and more. 3.7 miles

See Sassafras!