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Even the squirrel was taking it easy, letting its tail sway in the breeze as it hung from the cozy hole in the tree. The turtles were sunning. The fisherman were chatting too loud to catch the beaver in the nearby lodge. The stream was silent, except for water striders--and mold/fungus busy at work on a log in the water. I've come upon black top, cement, foundations, cellar holes, and fireplaces as I walked on the edge of the Holyoke Range. But today when I came across a gravestone for "Angel, 1983-1996" I was surprised and couldn't help when Stephen King crossed my mind. But, what a sweet resting place for a beloved pet.

Turtles take about five minutes to come back up out of the water after "darting" back into the depths upon your arrival.

Ant hills everywhere! Do I notice them more because of the sparse grass? Or is the grass sparse because of the ant hills? Is the ground this full of ant hills everywhere, hiding just beneath the cover of leaves and grass?

The baby robins have hatched. I won't risk taking anymore pictures. Momma gets quite upset. Last year I watched the parents collect a little white packet each time they brought food. It's basically the disposable diaper for baby birds--fecal sac.

So how are these all connected? The food chains of mold, bugs, turtles, fish, birds, etc. The trees shading and providing protection. And us humans...putting out plenty of food.

This weekend we put together planters and filled them with flowers, herbs, and vegetables. A few platters of birdseed and the dogs hair clippings invited birds to the 9 X 15 area. I'm keeping my eyes open as I kick back in a chair for butterflies and bees to investigate the flowers. However, the birds seemed to have found us fast. Maybe we owe thanks to all the other backyard feeders. So far I've identified Rose-breasted Grosbeak, American goldfinch, woodpeckers, chickadees, chipping sparrow, robin, Baltimore oriole, tufted titmouse, house sparrow, and European Starling. The tall oaks right off our porches provide retreat spaces, as well as a spot to rest while they share their many songs.

Greening starts from the bottom. On my walk along the creek, the smallest plants began to raise themselves out of the moist spring earth: next to, and even in, the still water a hooded plant rises, on top of a small rise clumps of shoots begin to show, under the trees patches of violets begin to spread. It took a couple weeks before I started noticing green in higher than the forest floor. Next it was low growing bushes and canes with thorns. The trees started blossoming, but no leaves. The larger bushes and young trees are next. As of now, the large oaks and maples around the building still aren't leafing. It feels like an egalitarian economy. Is it possible that the larger plants, of which there are fewer, wait until the smaller plants have sufficient growth to absorb the needed chlorophyll once the larger plants leaves begin to create only dappled sunlight? Is it some kind of symbiotic relationship as the larger plants need the rich hummus of the smaller plants that decay each year?