Dogwoods

Small spring fed creek at bottom of the hill.

Yesterday I traveled down to Roaring River Park near Cassville Missouri. I spent the morning fishing and then decided to go looking for Dogwoods in bloom. The hillsides light up with bursts of white each spring here in the Ozarks. The woodland floor also puts on a show before the trees leaf out. I checked the topo map and found a nice short hiking trail that might get me up in the hills high enough to find the show. The trail stated at a small creek crossing and wound up a steep climb.Toothwort
Each time I stopped to rest I found some interesting wildflowers at my feet. These bloom early in spring to take advantage of the light reaching the woodland floor.

Trout Lilly

These small flowers which grow in colonies get their name from the two mottled leaves at their base which remind some of brown trout.

Violets

As I wound up the trail I stopped and listened for birds, a spring warbler of some kind stumped me.

Cave with spring leading from it
I found the source of the creek which ran down the hill. A small opening at the base of this limestone cave about the size of a small dog.

I found Dogwoods blooming higher up on the slopes. The afternoon light filtered through the trees and lit up the white flowers. Im not sure I captured that in the photos very well. A few days from now Redbud trees would add to the music another tone.

I hiked back to the car along the hillside thinking about this changing of the season. Over the years Ive developed sort of a calendar of places in the wild that I look forward to be at certain times of the year. To be there when events like the dogwoods blooming occur. Somehow it seems much more satisfying than just turning a calendar page on the wall.