Mayapples, Phlox, Bluebells and More....

Spring always happens so quickly that before I know it, I haven't posed the half of it!   This is just what I photographed on April 19:

 Large Flowered Trillium

The Large-Flowered Trillium was a little early, perhaps because this one was near the edge of our yard--not in the cove where most of them bloom on our land.

Mayapple

The Mayapple is one of my favorites and are just starting to bloom in the last day or two.  

 Wood Anemone

With Bloodroot and Toothwort finished, the Wood Anemone is a welcome sight.  The spring beauties also are still blooming, masses of them throughout the woods.

Redbud were in full bloom...

 Virginia Bluebells

After my walk in our woods, I decided to drive down to Walker Creek to enjoy the Bluebells. They seemed to be in full bloom.

I was disappointed to see so much trash on Rye Hollow Road along Walker Creek.  I wasn't able to clean it up during the community clean-up.  Back at the house, I emailed a friend and we were going to pick up the trash later during the week.

 This was how Walker Creek looked early on April 19.  Later in the afternoon, it started raining and raining.   I am not sure how much because I did not put my rain gauge out until 9 p.m.   On Monday morning, the gauge measured over an inch of rain.

 Walker Creek along Rye Hollow Rd.    April 20, 2015  2 p.m.

 By Monday afternoon, Walker Creek had flooded over Rye Hollow Road.  I was a little surprised but the ground was already saturated and creeks were running strong before this rainstorm.  

So, I went yesterday and saw that all the trash along the road was gone.  This is not good because the trash was picked up by the flood.  The trash then flowed into the New River and most of it, if not washed up on riverbanks, will end up in the Gulf of Mexico, all the way being a hazard for wildlife.    Next year, I will do my best to pick up the trash before the spring floods.

On Monday evening April 20, I attended a lecture by Jane Goodall at Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia.   She made me realize that everyone can make a difference.  It does not have to be big but every little bit helps, like cleaning up a creek every year.

Bloodroot and Spicebush Wildflowers

 I noticed Bloodroot blooming for the first time on Wednesday, not an April Fool's joke (hate them anyway!). 

 Bloodroot    April 1, 2015

The flower usually appears before the leaves as in this photo.

 Sometimes the petals look a little different but I count 8 petals each time.

 Here's a specimen where the leaf is being to unfurl below.

 The toothwort are in full bloom having been out for almost a week.

 Spicebush   (Lindera benzoin)

This spicebush would be a lot showier in the yard but the swallowtail butterflies don't mind.  It is a host plant for them and other butterflies.  

 Bees find the spicebush blossoms too although the native bees are too fast for me to photograph.

Here's to spring, my favorite season.