Here in the Raleigh area, we have had two perfect days in a row for getting outside. Yesterday I went to Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve for my walk. I chose the Swift Creek Trail, an easy loop that I walked twice as I usually do. You have to watch your step on the boardwalk, which is damp and very slippery. The only hard part of this walk is at the end - more than 100 steps back up the bluff, with two decks with benches along the way for resting.
There are a few hemlock trees at Hemlock Bluffs, but it is not a hemlock forest. There are some magnificent tulip trees here, among others, and many varieties of flora and fauna. I always hear birds, and yesterday I wished I had my binoculars.
Here are a few pictures I shot along the way.
The sun was very bright and the shadows were deep and intriguing. I began to look for shadows everywhere, and I took these pictures of the beautiful leaf patterns. The brighter the sun is, the deeper the shadows; and a tall tree will cast a fuzzier shadow than a small bush.
Eventually, I started playing with my own shadow, and took these pictures for fun.
Stevens Nature Center, a center for educational programs and a resource in the natural history of the area, is the gateway to the trails. Yesterday there was a small group of children on a walk with one of the park staff. Overheard:
Child: "Oooooh, look what I found!"
Park Staff: "That's a chewed-up pinecone."
Child: "Awesome!"
That child is awesome in my book. What's awesome in yours?
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