Happy to Be on the Planet

     Spring is finally springing, though I am not yet sprung from a most annoying mobility problem that has been going on for far too long. Still, this week is finding me back in the Oak Openings region, one of my favorite places on the planet (despite the folks who think that flattish parts of the world are lacking in dramatic landscapes), and today I opted to see how far my feet would take me in a favorite park.
     The answer, unfortunately, is not as far as I would like, but being forced to slow down has its rewards. For starters, noticing details. Normally, I would not check out a tiny access trail to a picnic area, but today, I did, and found it spangled with clumps of hepatica, one of the spring ephemerals that has a season even shorter than springtime in Ohio generally is.

An understory shrub (which, unfortunately, I have not yet identified) with tiny yellow flowers was in bloom along the creek that feeds Mallard Lake.

And while I am not generally a fan of manmade lakes (okay, I'm a landscape snob), the lake today was perfectly fine as a reminder of how lovely this planet can be.

     When I decided to sit for a few minutes, the conveniently-located ledge was next to a dandelion, providing an opportunity to view the intricate blossoms up close.

In my not-so-humble opinion, nothing this beautiful or this useful to a multitude of species can fairly be called a weed.

     The animals were out in force along this only-slightly-over-a-half-mile trail: chipmunks giving alarm calls (whether because of the proximity of humans or the hawk drifting overhead, I don't know), fox squirrels looking for cached nuts, woodpeckers drumming, chickadees and goldfinches going at the feeders, LBJs galore, and an eastern phoebe gathering nesting materials. This handsome fellow

and his lady are already incubating a clutch of eggs, and a few pollinating insects were buzzing about.

     Sometimes, being forced to limit one's routine is perfectly fine.

The title of this post, by the way, comes from a song by the fabulous Deirdre McCalla. If you don't know her work, you should.