Although our wooded ravine managed surprisingly swiftly to dry out after spring run-off when all the accumulated snow and ice melted over a period of several weeks to the present condition of spring gradually revealing its true presence, days of incessant rain have once again turned it into a swampy morass.

The woods themselves have that somewhat bleak appearance of late fall-early spring with the trees bereft of foliage and the landscape appears sere in a monochromatic drab appearance of greys modified wherever the evergreens intersperse with the hardwoods. The creek, with its clay base harbouring little aquatic life has invited water striders back to course along its charging relay, still swollen with run-off and the effect of the rain.

But the last few days have dawned with clear skies and remained wonderfully spring-like, with ample sun and moderated temperatures, though the wind has been insistently cool. Daily, we are able to see the sweet emergence of the first hints of green on the understory shrubs, and looking up toward the canopy we see the red florets of maples as spring progresses. Once the first green haze appears it always seems as though the leafing process goes into gallop mode, until the day dawns when we amble along the trails amazed at the suddenness of fully-leafed Poplars, Elms, Maples, Apple, Beech, Oak and Hawthorn.

The bracken has made its variegated appearance among the dessicated foliage of years past presenting as bright whacks of green among the muddied colouration of the forest floor.

Last week trout lilies appeared on the forest floor, their brief window of opportunity to blossom bright gold before the sun is obscured when the trees become fully leafed. And soon afterward, up came the trilliums, seemingly overnight, and actually overnight. The third wave of woodland spring flowers was comprised of lilies-of-the-valley, not yet in bloom, but not long before that too becomes reality, and then we will look out for hazelnut catkins, blue-eyed grass, ginger and Jack-in-the-Pulpits to delight us in their unique and lovely presence.