An Easter-eve Walk

Thornapple at Flood Stage

I've been a little busy this week and haven't had time to get creative about my Saturday afternoon hike along the Paul Henry Trail (Old Michigan Central Railroad).  The river was running high, but with a short break in the weather, I ventured out and walked 7 or 8 miles along the trail.



Is it a duck egg?

 With a daughters who is now a teenager and no longer interested in dying and hiding eggs, I didn't go on a single Easter egg hunt.  But I did find an egg, located only 25 or 30 feet from the river.  Be of its size, I'm assuming it must have come from a duck.  I did see a number of mallards and a pair of wood ducks on my walk.

Things are still bare (a few trees had red buds visible). But, if you look at the ground, there are small flowers already in bloom. I didn't see any trilliums, a sure sign that Spring is here, but they are not generally out until May.

It's odd for us to have flowers blooming outdoors for Easter, but the holiday came so late this year that we did have a few flowers blooming.

Along the way, I saw a wild turkey (not the liquid variety), lots of waterfowl, robins, cardinals, redwing blackbirds, a kingfisher, squirrels and several rabbits (must have been preparing to deliver Easter baskets).   Oh, there were also a few early mosquitoes.

Early Easter morning, I was out in front of church and, before the sun rose, there was an ensemble of birds singing.  Down by the river, we could hear a pair of sandhill cranes and up the road a bit, breaking the beautiful music, was a rooster.  As it did for Peter, the crowing of the rooster reminded us of our human limitations. 

I hope you had a nice Easter.

Old Michigan Central trestle