With Puppy Shadow at Griffy Lake, early June: Full-On Forest Greening!

Wow. Just ten minutes from home. the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve is my absolute favorite nearby treasure. I never tire of walking one trail especially — the one that goes up and down the hill, then meanders next to the creek that empties into the lake. I enjoy every season, watching the subtle and dramatic changes, the trees that grow, fall, and die, the scampering squirrels, signs of deer, even a rare snake! When were we here last, five weeks ago? Whenever it was, this morning I felt utterly stunned by the green profusion, which, with so much intermittent rain, seems to have emerged more luxuriant than ever before!

On the trail up on the hill. See Shadow, up ahead?

My favorite mesmerization: the play of sunlight and shadow on fully greened trees:

Then, downhill, the many glorious views of the creek itself.

Including Shadow’s bath and drink . . .

The tiny meadow that will always take me back to a certain place in Siberia . . .

But then, these shallow-rooted plants also tend to “invade” our gardens here at the Green Acres Permaculture Village.

I always notice the spiraling growth pattern of this long-downed log.

And root tangles never fail to astonish.

While the creek itself is clear, Griffy Lake itself still murky from recent rains. The geese don’t mind. I don’t see any little ones.

Are these floating geese male, with females are all on that island over there waiting for their eggs to hatch? I know so very little about geese — or about the natural world in general. Or the cultural world, for that matter. Or my own inner nature! Heck, I’m a complete ignoramous; know less and less every day while thirsting for more and more.

Which reminds me:

What makes this glorious lettuce, just picked from our garden, grow with such profusion? How does its spiraling work? And the subtle coloration! I cannot help but swoon with delight.