"Beauty consists of its own passing, just as we reach for it. It's the ephemeral configuration of things in the moment, when you can see both their beauty and their death."
― Muriel Barbery
Perhaps it's just because they're phenologically first, but spring ephemerals like Hepatica (Round-lobed here), Bloodroot, and Pasqueflower are among my favorite wildflowers. For the Hepatica I went to Baxter's Hollow yesterday and photographed the the ones I found alongside Otter Creek. I was hoping to hear the songs of early Louisiana Waterthrushes, but was graced with Golden-crowned Kinglets and a single distant call of a Pileated Woodpecker. Kneeling to photograph, I managed to scoop up my first wood tick of the season. Spring is always full of firsts! So, rather than sit in the cushion of fallen pine needles, I opted for a large seat-sized boulder above the creek's waterline.
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell