Mornings Are Not Hectic -- in the Woods

Forest floor, morning

What are you looking at here? What do you see?  Do you remember those wild leeks only a few weeks ago?

Baneberry & leeks

The leafy plant you see there is baneberry, but the stems with heads shaped like birds' bills are what's left of the leeks after their leaves die back. The stems are still dark reddish, like those you recall from the leaves. Some of the flowers are beginning to open. In a few days the woods will be full of these small, white, rounded clusters of bloom. People will say, "What is that wildflower?" And if you visited Books in Northport and saw this post, you will be able to astonish your friends with your Up North woodland knowledge. You see? Reading blogs isn't always a waste of time.

Stems that hold flowering leek heads aloft

Soon petals will unfurl

And guess what -- there are gooseberries in the woods, too! Sourest fruit you ever tasted, but you can make pie with them.

Gooseberry

As the season heats up to a fever pitch this holiday week, my quiet mornings in the woods mean the world to me.