Spring! Wonder Walks '26

A lively vernal pool, full of algae and macroinvertebrates, both of which may eventually end up in the full round bellies of thousands of hungry tadpoles.

Wowie, rain and mud and wildflowers!

Come wander with me, and discover wildlife, wildflowers, and random weird stuff I think is cool. Also, help me save tadpoles from a shrinking puddle. Oh, and we can't forget the Color Game! Woo!

Take my hand, and let's take a wonderful wonder walk, my fellow dreamer friend.

Springtime Creatures

Part 1

Creature 1.

Peer into the vernal pool, dark as a divination mirror. It reflects the skeletal trees of early spring.

Creatures croak, their quacks not unlike ducks, if the ducks have a bad cold. While my phone photo is, um, imprecise, these croakers sport striking golden stripes over their upper lips that glimmer in the shadowy forest, catching my eye, and the eyes of potential mates.

WHAT AM I?

Creature 2.

OMG I'M FREAKIN' AWESOME AND CUTE SO WHAT AM I?

Creature 3.

I croak, but I'm no frog.

I eat the frogs, I rule the bog.

I stand so still, fish think I'm a stump.

Then I snatch at clams like a backstage trump.

WHAT AM I?

Wildflower Spotted!

Look, my fellow dreamer friend! The bloodroot blooms. Why are these lovely white flowers called "bloodroot?" If we pluck a stem, or, say, dig up the root, we will find these parts "bleed" a thin rusty-reddish fluid. I don't think the flower petals bleed. Though that would be totally super awesome.

For more flowers, keep walking with me. We'll get there sooner or later!

Wonder Walk Mysteries

Is this a deer scapula . . . or a human shoulder blade?!

An old black cherry tree fell during a storm. It appears carpenter ants have been working the wood for years. Or termites . . . ? Note the mildly pink flush in the cherry wood (no filter!).

Whoa, check out this forest of trees with fully loaded catheter bags!

Yeah, you're right, it's maple sugar water. So . . . let's put on some Cibo Matto! Did you know the singer from Cibo Matto, Miho Hatori, voiced the original Noodle in Gorillaz?

Let's take a break and just breathe with the forest. The dogwood is blossoming, the cardinals are whistling, and the air smells of damp earth and fresh life.

The Tadpole Chronicles

Holy crap! This vernal pool is, like, drying up. There is hardly any water in it, as you can see. Hopefully, there aren't any tadpoles trapped in these tiny puddles.

Oh no! There really are tadpoles trapped in these few tiny puddles.

Thousands of roiling, squiggling tadpoles, sealed within a thin, shrinking skim of mudwater!

What are we going to do? Who will save the tadpoles? Did you happen to bring a bucket and net?

You did!! I am utterly grateful that you brought your bucket and net! You even filled the bucket with water from the vernal pool over the hill (the lively pool at the top of page). Let's save some tadpoles! It's Earth Day!

Like, really, we really did this on Earth Day. Hell yeah!

Okay, I think we scooped up ten thousand or so of the little guys. Unfortunately this hardly made a visible difference in the puddles. Oh well, let's release these in the big lively pool and watch them swim free.

The Tadpole Chronicles:

One Day Later

Overnight, the clouds opened and refilled the pool. Now the puddle is . . . big enough! We won't have to transport any more tadpoles.

Now the little pool holds enough water (and rotten plant matter) for the remaining trillion or so tadpoles to thrive!

Beltane Wonder Walk Aphrodite Flower Bowls

My nana said ladies once placed these very fragrant flowers in their purses. As such, I have always referred to these as "perfume flowers" from "the perfume bush." What are they called, really?!

Okay, I just looked it up so I can ruin the mystery. "Aphrodite sweetshrub" is my favorite name (alludes to the ladies and their perfume). The bush goes by other names such as "Carolina allspice." Whatever it is, the rich maroon buds smell intoxicating, great enough for us to pluck and place in fancy glass bowls to scent our alter rooms!

The Color Game:

A Customary & Beloved Wonder Walk Ritual

Can you find six basic colors of the rainbow in nature, during one walk?

Yes, I'm lumping "indigo" and "violet" into the color "purple."

For official Color Game rules, please read my freakin' book,

or find the "Nature Nurtures" peace pack on this website. I think.

Will we find the six colors on this wonder walk?

BLUE! 2 points. What is this flower? I have no idea. Small. Cute. Blue.

YELLOW! 2 points. WHITE! 1 point. And, sure, GREEN! 2 points. What is it? Let me share a secret. I know trout lilies and trillium and other early ephemerals of the forest floor, but I am ignorant of so many more wildflowers. I am humbled.

PURPLE! 2 points. But what is it? I know this one! WILD FLOX! Okay, so what's the tree? Apple?

ORANGE! 2 points. AND IT'S A TULIP TREE PETAL! But we still need RED . . .

Okay, sure, I'll bend the rules for this. RED! Only 1 point, since we bent the rules.

Total Color Game Points: 12 points. We win!

Springtime Creatures

Part 2

Creature 4.

On our return from our wonderful wonder walk, this cute little fledgling crouches on the sidewalk.

WHAT AM I?

Oh, the sun is setting. Look at those rays! Let's settle inside for a cup of lavender mugwort tea.

Creature 5.

An open window, an inviting lamp, and this buzzing beetle appears on my curtain . . . a bug usually associated with June.

WHAT AM I?

Springtime Creatures

Answers!

Creature:

1. Wood Frog

2. Spotted Salamander

3. Great Blue Heron

4. Fledgling Sparrow (What species? I don't know.)

5. June Bug

The sun sets over my jades. Take a jade plant with you! And thank you for joining me on this wonderful springtime wonder walk, my fellow dreamer friend.