Spring has Sprung

I'm taking a break from the desert stories to show you that Springtime has exploded in our world. There are no snow drifts in the forest (to Shyla's dismay - she loved having a constant supply of snow cones). I'll go out on a limb and guess that we won't have anymore accumulating snow this Spring!

Instead, we'll have abundant wildflowers after an incredible year of moisture.

We also have lots of bear food coming to life. Shyla doesn't like ants on her paws, so she's holding one up! Bears love eating ant larvae, and I'm seeing large rocks that bears have flipped over, looking for ant larvae to eat, all over the forest.

Shyla and I can mountain bike to Hug Hill without having to plow through deep snow! We both adore visiting this special spot.

A favorite wildflower of mine is flourishing this year. These tiny orchids are known as "Fairy Slippers" or "Lady's Slippers" (Calypso bulbosa). Over my years of exploring our area, I've learned where there are small patches of these gems. Because they're at the height of their bloom right now, I tend to choose bike routes that go past at least one patch each ride.

Thank goodness my back feels good enough for me to get down low enough to gaze at these amazing flowers.

One of my favorite riding trails is this one! Can you believe those wildflowers, looking like a carpet leading to the high snowy mountains? I grinned as I pedaled.

Last, but certainly not least, the sunset light is amazing - soft and red. While deep winter is the time for sunrises in our neck of the woods, summertime is for sunsets.

We are so grateful for the beautiful world around us.