As you know, spring has sprung early, and flowers and frogs have emerged ahead of schedule. While hiking this week around the Nature Center this week, I stumbled across Blue Cohosh(below), a wildflower I typically associate with May in this area, not mid-April. Notice how fresh the flowers look, and the six yellow-and-green stamen at the center of each flower are open to varying degrees. The plant times its flowering so that a steady flow of fresh flowers are available for early insects, such as bumblebees, to pollinate.
I leave first thing tomorrow morning for Nicaragua, and by the time I return, the Blue Cohosh won't look so fresh. And other beautiful wildflowers that define early spring, like Dutchman's Breeches and Blood Root, may be long gone. The new birds will continue to arrive, but I won't be here to greet them. I'll be having my own adventure, and I'll just have to dive right back into Vermont spring after my mind has been shattered by the tropics. Until then, adios amigos!
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