wildflowers

Today the local Audubon chapter came out to take a wildflower walk on our farm. I tagged along, hoping to learn some relevent plant names, because really, I don't know many beyond "Dandelion", which some will claim is a weed anyway.

The tour barely got farther than 200 yards from our house, and the sharp eyed among the wildflower hunters collectively pointed out 26 distinct varieties of blooming plants. I was impressed. I couldn't find that much diversity in my curbside trash in Manhattan. (Not that Manhattan doesn't have a thing or two going for it-- it just doesn't have front yards.)

These flower hunters know how to make a short hike exciting. I usually strike out looking for exciting macro-features-- hilltop views, cliffs, and caves. Focusing on plants and the microcosm makes for the power hike. I'll consider this next time I need to squeeze a lot of natural beauty into a 20 minute hike.

For now, I'm excited just to have my toes in the grass again, to exchange concrete walls for actual hills.