Hiking, birding, and hail!

Bec and I went hiking last weekend (on the 21st) at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. There is a 5 mile loop we've hiked before and since it was spring-like out, we decided to go. A few pretty wildflowers, most still unidentified, were blooming. Not many birds singing, but we had a lovely hike, ate lunch above the "hidden spring," which is a mostly underground creek with some entrances from the surface.

Yesterday we got "extra" coneflower, hellebore, poppy, sensitive ferns, hosta, columbine, primrose, and some herbs (chive, parsley) for our garden. A friend of mine has an extensive garden and these things had spread and he needed to remove them. So we gave them a good home. The back garden, which is I think now dog free, is about completely covered in plants. If they all grow out, it should be pretty lush back there. VERY excited. Going to be really nice. Extra coneflowers in the front yard and other blooming flowers in summer will accent the variety of things we have blooming now.

Random wildflowers I need to try to ID:

(a violet?)

OLD Cedar stump

Last night the storm that came through was pretty wicked. Rain blew sideways, it flowed through the backyard and flattened our daffodils. It also hailed for a couple minutes. Bec was wanting to look out the back door, but both dogs ran out in the worst of the storm and did a 180 and leaned against the door trying to get back inside. They knew better. A possible tornado caused some damage about 15min drive from here with broken windows on buildings and cars. Strong winds anyway.

Hail through the side door while it was hailing and pouring.




Water flowing through the yard.

I was in Columbia SC last week for a meeting. A bunch of us blew off some boring committee meetings we're not a part of and went to Congaree National Monument. MASSIVE virgin timber here. I guess I'm now a tree hugger. This is a loblolly pine.