Springtime in the Forest
With three of the last four mornings below freezing, you might think that Spring had been put on hold, but think again. My sunrise walk took me to the lowest part of the valley where the fields have been plowed in anticipation of planting. The Redbud, Apple, and Dogwood along the forest boundary are finally showing themselves, although reluctantly.
Hiking into the forest I found a small creek surrounded by large moss covered boulders. The sun never makes it into this area, so a number of plants and wildflowers have established themselves along the wet bank.
The variety on such a cold morning was remarkable.
On my walk back home, I found this large dogwood blossom just starting to open. It reminded me of a white dove just spreading its wings. Just in case you don’t know the legend of the dogwood, here goes. It is believed by Christians that the cross where Christ was crucified was made from the wood of the dogwood tree. Supposedly, dogwood trees in those days were large, thick trunk bohemoths, but after Christ died, they evolved into the much smaller tree that it is today, totally incapable of bearing the weight of a human. The red notch at the end of the four snowhite petals is believed to represent the nail holes in Christ’s hands and feet. The white stands for purity. The yellow stamens represent the Crown of Thorns. Also, it just happens to bloom around Easter. How convenient!
Wild violets cover the ground in most areas that have sunlight.
Living in The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina- A Blog 
Vann, the colors of all the different flowers, is amazing. Each picture like a postcard.