We have often driven down a particular road where we know it to grow, searching for Skunk Cabbage in the early spring. It's such an unusual plant, and just about the earliest blooming flower here. We've added to this searching for Sandhill Cranes, though we're a bit late for both of these this year. We headed down the 7th Line for this drive, all the way to Sideroad 13.
I've been astonished at the recent new investment in farming and in rural villages here. I drove past this long vacant property for a decade, and suddenly an entire new operation has been built - house, barns and driveshed. This must have cost a pretty penny!
And these are two brand new houses in the tiny village of Rocklyn. Look at the striking windows in the house on the left. Personally, I like the porch of the house to the right/
And then we got to the Skunk Cabbage. It's well into spring for this plant, and these are the bright green leaves.
These two photos are from a few years back, but they show the dark purple plants that we would have found if we had been here three weeks ago. The purple hood is referred to as the spathe, and the group of tiny flowers within is the spadix.
We drove on through a low wetland area and saw lots of Pussy Willow.
Then we came to the remarkable Wodehouse Creek, a karst stream I've written about previously. It arises in a large spring, and disappears several miles downstream in a bedrock sinkhole. Back in my ambulatory days I used to frequent this spot watching for birds at this time of year, and was once stopped by a conservation officer who thought I might be fishing - a few days before trout season opened!
Moving slightly you can see tiny meanders along the stream, and just out of sight is a large beaver dam which creates a significant wetland.
And here is that wetland from the air. The dam is the short straight line fairly close to the road on the right. I once paid for a sight-seeing trip in a small Cessna, and directed the pilot to fly straight down here so I could get photos all the way along Wodehouse /Creek, from the spring to the sinkhole. This is one of the places I've seen Sandhill Cranes; the drier edges of this wetland would be ideal nesting habitat for them.
It must feel good to get out and see new life and old sites, some made new.
ReplyDeleteA lovely drive, and wonderful memories of other moments at the wetlands. I can imagine there would be a wide variety of birds, bugs and plants to view and appreciate.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a skunk cabbage before. Interesting plant!
It may not smell good, but skunk cabbage is a fascinating plant, generating its own heat to melt its way through snow and ice. Not surprising the conservation officer questioned you, you sure do look like a suspicious character :-)
ReplyDeleteThat skunk cabbage is interesting. Would love to see it purple!
ReplyDeleteThe wodehouse Creek looks very pretty. I wonder how people afford big houses nowadays.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite the new farm. A pretty penny indeed!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen pussy willow flowering before.
ReplyDeletei don't know how people can afford new homes these days...and now with the interest rates up, the payments are so high. i like the house on the right also, i wonder if they were owner build and occupied, or if the builder sold them. i always wonder that. the creek is naturally beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, both you and I mentioned 'Skunk Cabbages' in our blogs tonight. Always great to get out for those Spring drives and I too prefer the porch on the house to the right.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures from Wodehouse Creek.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Good pictures of the skunk cabbage. It exists here in Virginia, but we don’t see it very often. The creek is pretty.
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