Singing in the rain

Can you tell how wet it is?

Okay, maybe we weren't really singing in the rain, but at least we were out there in it, rather than curled up warm and dry at home, like I am right now. Melanie and I decided to go to our usual rainy-day spot, the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve. It's got two loop hikes on its 370-acre property, which is filled with ancient old-growth trees and plenty of beauty everywhere. It wasn't raining very hard when we first started out, but it was obvious that plenty of rain has been falling here, with lots of puddles and slippery spots. 

Very soggy trillium

We saw lots and lots of trillium, all of them of course quite wet, but still very beautiful. You could tell that some of them have been around for awhile, as they are beginning to change color, as well as having lost their early perkiness. We still stopped to admire them.

Fungus on a very mossy tree

It was wet and very pretty, with so much of the undisturbed forest just the way it was in years past, with many of the trees also showing their age. Because of the fragility of the forest, dogs are not allowed, and the magnificent trees are not troubled by other domestic animals either. There are plenty of human admirers, though. Even on a day like today, we saw a half-dozen fellow hikers.

Wild bleeding hearts

The bleeding hearts are finally coming into bloom, showing off their pretty pink flowers, with lots of diamonds of rain sparkling on the leaves. I love the wild version of this plant, very different from the cultivated versions. They are all gorgeous, nevertheless.

Geneva Pond

We first did the shorter loop to Geneva Pond. You can see the raindrops on the water and the misty backdrop and the clouds in the distance. At this time it wasn't raining very hard, but the cumulative effect was enough to get us quite drippy. Thank goodness for good rain gear and boots!

Misty scenery

After the shorter loop, we decided to take a quick trip back to the parking lot and then on to the three-mile loop. This gave us a total of about five miles, give or take, and plenty of time to enjoy the beauty all around us. I never got a good picture of the slippery and sloppy parts of the trail, since I was busy trying to stay upright.

Maidenhair ferns and trillium

Although it isn't easy to see the maidenhair ferns in this picture, it's because once they get wet, they repel the raindrops and revolve upwards. It turns out that the botanical name for the fern refers to their ability to repel water.

The word Adiantum comes from the Greek adiantos, which means ‘unwetted’ and refers to the way that maidenhair fern fronds repel water.

 We did stop often to admire the scenery and the different plant life surrounding us, but after awhile I was anxious to just get out of the rain, and stop having to try to keep myself from slipping in the mud, which seemed to disturb my lower back muscles. When we returned to the car, my sore back welcomed Melanie's heated seat as we made our way back home. For a very wet day, I think we did a good job of getting our quota of steps and exercise. Now to enjoy a cozy and warm home!

:-)