Trip to Caledon

On Wednesday I was fortunate enough to be invited to Caledon to stay the night at my friend's house. The next morning, she and her dog, another friend who lived nearby and her dog, and my lone self went for a walk in the spring woods. We went to a trail in Bellfountain (I think I got that right?), where I got to experience spring in one of Southern Ontario's Maple Beech Forests. It's just what I always thought a forest should be, growing up on Nova Scotia's scrubby fir-and-spruce Eastern Shore, and I hope I'm not disloyal saying so! I especially love how many spring ephemerals there are in these forets, and how different they are from the moist, acidic soil of the Eastern Shore. Our yard at home, for instance, is dominated by bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis) and bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) and wild rhododendron and star flowers and the like - all absolutely lovely! - but I am not as familiar with Trout Lily, wild ginger, and blue cohosh, even though all three can be found elsewhere in Nova Scotia.

I'll just provide the pics with very little comment, other than, how great to get out of Guelph! The trees were almost two weeks behind what they are here in the 'city,'and it was strange to realize how oblivious I had become to the urban heat island effect. I'm such a city dweller these days! Ha.



This is the view from where we parked. It could have easily been anywhere in NS, except for the plentiful white cedar.



The tree canopy up on the Escarpment.



The view from a high point along the trail. The field is an old orchard. Imagine hauling yourself, a cart, and a horse all the way up here for maintenance and apple picking!



Maple Beech Forest! Robin Hood approved. At least, that's what I always think of when I see woods with understory and room to move in without getting a branch in your face every 3 seconds. Crazy!

And for the flower macros:



Sanguinaria canadensis



Asarum canadense - had to peek under the leaves for this one. Fuzzy alien.



Erythronium americanum. Not fully open yet. The early foliage is mottled, like liver spots, which I suspect has something to do with its common name Toad Lily.

When I finally get myself in gear, I hope to swing by the Guelph arboretum to see the trilliums that were promising to put in an appearance. I remember when I was tiny, we had a few trilliums in our yard, but there haven't been any for years. Spring! Love it.