Yesterday I set out to watch the sun rise at a favorite place of mine. As I waited for the sun to climb over the trees the light and colors slowly began to switch places with the early shadows. A beaver silently swam at the far end of the lake.
Something else disturbed the surface of the water behind me.
The chorus of spring birds began to rise with the colors.
Then all at once things seemed to move faster, the sun had climbed above the trees the fog began to dissapate and the colors took over for the day shift. Even though I had not really moved more than tweny feet during the last half hour, it seemed as if I had been taken to a new place, a new day. Maybe thats the reason we go watch the sun come up.
Evening CloudsCrawford County
To participate in Skywatch Friday visit Tom at Wiggers World for all of the details: http://womtig.blogspot.com/
Redbuds In AprilCrawford County
Flooded Stream
Crawford County
Blue PhloxCrawford County
Redbuds
Crawford County
Roundleaf Grounsel
Crawford County
Roundleaf GroundselCrawford County
Black Oak Trail in April
Crawford County
Yesterday I took a walk along Black Oak Trail near town. I wanted to see how much flooding we had on the west side of town from Cow Creek and also to look for the redbuds. Eastern Redbuds grow as a small understory tree in the woodlands here in SE Kansas. They put on a wonderful show with thousands of small dark pink flowers that sing together to light up the early spring.
The last couple of nights Ive been spending evenings at the edge. That is the overgrown fence row that borders my pasture to the east. Ive walked and stood as the sun set behind me looking for little brown birds.
This small section was burned recently and has become a hot spot for these little brown birds, sparrows. Ive made it a goal this spring to get to know them better, to be able to identify them as something other than LBBs. So far in this little plot and the fence row Ive spotted White Crowned Sparrows, a Field Sparrow (cool pink bill and feet), Song Sparrows and last but not least Lark Sparrows. The Lark Sparrow was a new one for me, several sat in the burned pasture and ate while one sat in the fence row calling with an odd buzzing sound followed by some nicer notes. As a bonus Ive seen the first Scissor Tail Fly Catcher of the year, as well as red wing blackbirds, cardinals, mockingbird,and an osprey hunted the small lake to the east.
Crabapple tree in bloom
Crabapple tree in bloom
Cherokee County Kansas
Cherokee County Kansas
Just a few photos taken during the few breaks we have had from rain here in SE Kansas lately. Signs of Spring are everywhere.
Small variety of cherry we planted a few years ago. It was in a bundle of trees we odered from the States Parks and Wildlife Dept. Its a nice program, different bundles of trees can be purchased for songbirds or wind breaks or wildlife. 
Our Peaches are blooming, hopefully we will not have a hard late freeze this year.
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.
Last Saturday was a cold windy day here in SE Kansas. Fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities were put on hold as I tagged along with my wife to an auction in "Beautiful Mulberry". Mulberry is a small town of a hundred or so homes. At one time during the coal mining days here is this region it was a boom town and apparently had a large thriving downtown . The evidence is the many sidewalks and empty lots. All that remains is a few scattered red brick buildings that now function as city hall and post office.
This was an estate auction, a life time of possessions of a woman whose family most likely had moved on or just didn't want what was for sale here. My wife seeks out chairs and boxes that she paints for the gallery where she sell her art. My job is to load the truck. She calls it "recycling" and over the years almost all of our homes have been furnished this way. For instance last summer a pile of old walnut door moldings she bought for a dollar became a head board for our bed, as well as other projects around the house.
Auctions are really social events in small towns, folks of all ages browse and drink coffee, gossip, joke with the auctioneer and every once in a while buy something.
