Admiring the fresh spring wildflowers...
and the vibrant new growths...
thrusting toward the sun, celebrating a new season.
Did I mention fresh spring wildflowers?
The great flood zones begin to green, heralding a riot of grasses and foliage
.
Tiny wonders lie in hidden nooks.
Ancient process return living to non-living.
And the jackal of the bird world, a black vulture, finds a tasty meal in a dead armadillo and does the natural world a favor. Not much love for one of the most useful animals in the kingdom. Stops the spread of disease and speeds the decomposition of dead animals. An essential part of the ecosystem.
And so, Nature's Level 4 Bio-hazard Containment Specialist departs.
With a few parting shots...
so do I.
Peterson Lake Nature Center and Arboretum, Collierville, TN 4.9.22
I would say looking at your photos, you guys are about two weeks ahead of us. Mother nature seems to like you guys more than us :)
ReplyDeleteWell, we start and stop - 40's, then 70's, violent storms followed by clear blue skies. Hey, it's spring!
DeleteWhat are the cones sticking out of the water?
ReplyDeleteThey are known as "knees", often erroneously called cypress knees because people tend to associate them only with cypress trees (the trees in the standing water in #7/8 are bald cypress, so called because they are deciduous) but they appear with other species as well. They are almost always found in swampy or seasonal flood zones and are projections of roots. Even among those of us of the biological persuasion, there has never been a definitive answer as to their function, if any. So are convinced they provide oxygen to water-logged trees (somewhat reasonable), others that they act as anchors (less so). In any case, it does not explain the appearance of knees in, say, a bald cypress the is close to water but not submerged. Oh, well! Sorry if I went on too long.
DeleteThanks, I have seen them before and did wonder.
Delete