Pratt's on a sunny day

Last Sunday (April 26th) we drove to Pratt's Falls for a picnic/hike. The park was quiet and we had the trails all to ourselves. This little guy on the left, a dark-eyed (slate-colored) junco was working with his mate, perhaps building a nest under the eaves or tending a new clutch of chicks. We hiked all three trails - a total of maybe 4-5 miles, through the woods, along the fields, and back to civilization. The early wildflowers were just beginning to bloom as evidenced by the white trillium and dogtooth violet shown here. I remember seeing these flowers blanketing the springtime woods when I was a kid, along with the rarer red trilliums which are nearly non-existent now. We also ran into Mr. Gartersnake who, apparently having just shed his skin, was so busy enjoying the warm sun that he didn't even acknowledge the camera that clicked several photos of him. The small waterfall here is not Pratt's Falls itself, rather it is one of many little cascades we encountered on our walk. After nearly two hours of hiking we sat down to a yummy picnic, spread a blanket under a tree and enjoyed a relaxing nap as other picnikers began to arrive and enjoy the day.

The weather has been just gorgeous lately.....I think it's time to get back to Montezuma to see if the eaglets have hatched, and catch up on the latest happenings there.