HIDE & PEEP

One of my favourite sounds of spring is the chorus of the spring peeper, which collectively can be quite the disturbance. Even when calling, they can be difficult to locate, and with their camouflage and tiny size, less than an inch long, are often hard to find.

PAIR LE PEW

I found this pair of red trilliums while walking dogs in the forest behind the Muskoka OSPCA. They are usually the first of the trillium family to appear and you may notice they smell like rotten meat, designed to attract flies, necessary for pollination.

LOOKOUT BELOW

April showers bring forth May flowers and today I spotted some colonies of Trout Lilies below the lookout on Huckleberry Rock. Named for the mottled appearance of their leaves, resembling the spots of a brook trout, they are one of the first flowers to bloom, often before the snow and ice have left, and only for a brief time.

HAPPY TRAILS

It has rained straight for several days now, which not only helped dissolve the ice on the lakes but also the remaining snow in the woods. The trails behind the Muskoka OSPCA shelter are now clear and the dogs, like Captain, excited about the new sights, smells and sounds to discover. If you can spare any time to volunteer please pay them a visit. The staff would appreciate your help and the animals will love the attention.

GOING, GOING...

The ice has been going out at a rapid pace the past couple of weeks and along with it some docks, flotsam and this tinny on Brandy Lake. Those who predicted the ice gone by the end of the month I suspect may be right.