march in

it is that unpredictable time of year when you don't know whether to pull on a t-shirt or turtleneck,  when you might be showered with rain, snow, or a sunny spring warmth.

earlier in the week we were gifted with sweet seasonal comfort, coupled with the growing light, allowing more outdoor time after tristan's school day.

every time we wander through the woods around our home i feel fortunate. and when the little creek has a healthy flow of water, even more so.

so much inspiration for the sketch pad 

there are always great discoveries when we march around in the woods. sometimes it's the clearest bits of quartz, a rusty old truck, a certain grove or land formation that makes the perfect fort, fish in the creek, feathers, bits of nature art. 

and always there are bones.

sometimes you walk as the dog walks, ducking under branches, skipping around thorns, splashing through the creek, and navigating fallen trees.

sometimes she gets very impatient with you as you stop to study something with your camera.

while i would welcome one more snow fall, i'm looking forward to the ease of slipping outside without jackets and hats, ready to explore the emerging season.

a warm spot

we've had a break from the intensely cold weather, and then the rain, these last couple of days. today was not the brightest of days, but it was perfectly pleasant, a good day to experiment with the camera on my new iphone. we romped in the woods and visited our favorite spots, something we haven't done in a while. the cedar grove. the tree bench. the creek. the realm of the fallen tree. our yard in general. tristan chalked on the driveway and cruised around on his balance bike while i gathered fallen branches and swept out the garage. and then we retreated to the indoors, just at twilight, for a snack of carrots and freshly baked biscotti. it was a good day of playing, and baking, and exploring with my little cherub. the kind of day i treasure and feel very good about when we exchange the last hug before sleep. 

after the rain

we took a walk this evening. tristan finds mud and damp stressful these days, so a walk to the creek after the rain perhaps wasn't the brightest idea. but he too is a little unpredictable, and usually loves his visits to the creek. so we strolled down into our patch woods, eager to check out the water after a day's rains. forwards and backwards we walked. the stream had a rare and beautiful song, which lightened slightly all the grumping that was unfolding. and the pools were deeper, though opaque and agitated, connected by pretty little sand bars. the walk ended where it began, back in our yard, where the mist fomented between trees, and the happy plants stood belly full of drink.

forest dwellers

in the woods

there is new life

and new death

there are adventures to be had among the trees, in the water, and the ravines

there is quartz popping up everywhere, small pieces

and large

there is a little boy collecting flowers. in this case, twin daffodils!

and a young girl with pen, paper, camera, pencil, quietly observing the changes

there are wildflowers. ornamental trees. blooming shrubberies.

near the woods

there is home