Six months ago, in the autumn, we visited this gorgeous nature preserve for the first time. It turned out to be equally enchanting in the springtime. It was so green! We started at the other end of Robin’s Trail. It was cold out, however. After days in the 80s on this morning I was back in my winter coat and wore my gloves the whole time.
When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by
~ William Blake
(Laughing Song)
Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another.
~ John Muir
(The Wilderness Essays)
As it was last time we visited, a very pleasant spring morning ramble along the creek and in the woods. 🍃
THank you for noticing and photoing those ripples ♥
You’re welcome, Leelah! The sparkling was so mesmerizing to watch. ♡
I enjoyed your walk in the woods. New England has yet to have its visit from the Green Man for the most part. The majority of leaves are still in bud. I feel like the first full week of May is when things really get greening here, so soon! Love the delicate looking wildflower blooms.
I do remember that about living in Connecticut, the trees didn’t leaf out until the end of April or beginning of May. It seems like we’re two months sooner down here! I’m glad you enjoyed this walk and seeing the little wildflowers living in these very different woods.
PS – I think the Green Man may live down here!
Excellent forest bathing by the looks of it! 💚 🌿 🌳
It still amazes me how therapeutic a forest bath can be! 🍃 💚 🌳
I enjoyed this post, Barbara. I agree that the ripples are mesmerizing. Even in the photo format, I paused. I would have wanted to sit on a rock for a while at the place that you photographed the one titled with the name of the creek. It looks so peaceful. Water always attracts me.
Thank you, TD. I’m so used to having the ocean for a water attraction it’s taking me some time to discover the water magic of creeks, which is very different. But I agree, there’s something about water that captivates and soothes. A bubbling, rippling creek, surrounded by greenery, possesses a special charm.
The green is jumping for joy … and so are the streams this time of year. Wonderful post and thoughts, Barbara! Thanks for posting today because I know I missed the one earlier this week.
Thank you, Frank! We had lots of little bubbling brooks in Connecticut but the streams seem bigger here and are called creeks. And somehow the expression bubbling creek doesn’t roll off my tongue just yet. 😉
This is a delight to go past New Hope Creek and see this nature preserve filled with wildflowers – you must be so happy going on all these excursions, breathing in the freshness of Spring Barbara. So much to see in North Carolina and it makes me wonder if the song “Carolina in the Morning” comes from North Carolina. I remember my parents listening to the album by Mitch Miller (?) and the lyrics began “Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina In the morning.”
It was a great walk and we’re trying to get as many spring walks as possible before the heat and humidity make being outside impossible. Thanks for finding that blog post about the song. I wasn’t familiar with it but the last video was pretty cool, seeing Trey Anastasio and Phish singing the encore, a cappella, for the Greensboro, NC audience. I have to admit there are times when I agree that “nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.” It is beautiful here!
You’re welcome – glad you liked it. I did find the Mitch Miller version. My parents had his albums and I think he had a variety show so that is where I must have heard it over the years. That was a very young Dean Martin. I agree with the song based on your posts and photos!
Isn’t it great when you find something online that you just know you remember from your past?? It’s a good feeling to have one’s memory validated. 😉 But you do have an excellent memory. I would not be able to chronicle the history of my childhood pets the way you did in your recent post. 🙂
Yes, it was Barbara as I could hear that album playing and the show being on every weekend. We had just the one TV so we all watched TV together. Thank you … I think I remember every pet’s names because it was just me … you had family members to surround yourself with. That may be why??
Those were the days… I remember having to get up to change the channel on the TV, and also taking turns to use the bathroom during commercial breaks. The dog used to sit on the floor between us and the TV, and the cats took turns sitting on our laps. Now we have pause buttons and everybody has their own screen to watch.
I remember getting up to change the channel and also to adjust the antenna for some channels that didn’t “pull in” as well as others did. I also remember what a novelty it was to get the first VCR and not have to stay up late during the week to watch the 10:00 p.m. shows. How wonderful that was and we were late to get a VCR, just like other “new gadgets” like a microwave and a computer.
Well interestingly, I just Googled around and that song I referenced IS North Carolina, not South Carolina. They must have been walking the same trails as you and Tim are. I’ll send a separate link to various versions of the song that I found in an article. I’m still sure it was Mitch Miller I heard sing it.
Mother Nature has the best green thumb 💚
All her greenery was simply dazzling! 🍃
Here is the link I mentioned re: NC and the song:
https://handmadenc.com/carolina-in-the-morning-a-musical-exploration/
What a great place for a visit! Sorry it was so chilly, but that’s Spring for you — constantly changing its mind, from warm to cool, wet to dry. We’ve had more than our share of wet here!
We’re abnormally dry for April down here, but you’d never know it for all the green. Hopefully some of your April showers will come our way soon! We’re expecting above average temps this coming week, in the 80s…