9 March
I thought I'd found a "weather window" in the Hamilton Wetlands and Forest yesterday. The morning looked rainy and windy, but by noon things appeared to have calmed down a bit.
We made our way to the Forest, which was quite wet and mostly dark, although there were breaks in the clouds. Moss continues to proliferate on logs and trees. Downed trees continue in their role as nurseries for huckleberry vines.
They also host slime molds, odd organisms, not fungus, plant, or animal, but with what appears to be memory and planning capacity.
Although the white blotches are less beautiful than the moss (at least to most of us), it's possible that the slime molds regard themselves as handsome and elegant. Who knows?
There are new fungi emerging along with lichen and luxuriant moss.
We're starting to wonder when the woodpecker stump will collapse. It's certainly dwindling.
The delicate pink buds on the huckleberry vines are an early seasonal marker.
Although they herald spring, the colours always make me think of Christmas candies.
Out at the Marsh, we had lost the rain shelter provided by the forest. The dock still lacks its last section and the bench.
Just how the dock and bench have vanished remains a mystery. There really isn't any way it could have been taken along the path to the Marsh, and there's no evidence that it's been floated off somewhere.
The water level remains high. It seems likely to rise further as the snow pack on the mountains melts.
The frog chorus was silent this morning. There is an increasing amount of amphibian egg masses visible. It will be interesting to watch their development.
I've never managed photos of raindrops, before, but there were certainly lots of opportunities this day.
The weather does seem to be warming up. We can look forward to seeing and hearing more signs of spring in the coming weeks.
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