Springtime in the Woods

This post is just to share some of the beauty that I see on my walks in the local woods these days.  I'm so lucky to live close to beautiful trails where I can experience such peace and tranquility, and be surrounded by so much to see. Each time I go, I try to find new and interesting things.  These days, there are starting to be a lot of mosquitoes too, so I have to keep up the pace, but I try to snap some pictures while I'm there.

Sometimes I know the species I see, and sometimes I have no idea.  These tiny mushrooms are an unknown species for me, but their warm colour stand out.  The first picture is a more mature one, about 1.5 cm across, and the bottom picture is a tiny one just forming, about the size of a green pea.  

I love how they are nestled in a bed of mossy green.

  I love the patterns in the grain of wood in some of the fallen trees.

This one has such interesting wavy patterns.  It reminds me of a stream, meandering through the woods.

Here's a real stream, meandering through the woods.  I love to stop and listen to the gentle sounds of the water flowing over rocks and around tree roots.  

There are loads of painted trillium (Trillium undulatum) in bloom right now where I walk.  They're a short-lived flower that only blooms in spring, so it's a delight to see them while they're out.  The flower is stunningly beautiful.

There are other spring flowers just starting to open, like this threeleaf goldthread (Coptis trifolia). These are really tiny, so you have to be willing to stop and focus on the ground and really look around for them. Such an exquisite structure.

This is a rock covered in Baeomyces rufus, brown beret lichen.

The green mosses are so vibrant now, and the deciduous leaves are just starting to emerge.  It is a lovely time of year for walks in the woods.