The View From Frog Pond Holler

Early morning spider webs

I found lots of dewy spider webs yesterday...The spider that made this web selected a beautiful spot among blossoms of Virgin's Bower, now in full bloom in the holler:

This awesome web was attached to honeysuckle vines and autumn olive branches:

[Photos by Cathie Bird]

Orange day lilies are out in the holler

Orange Day Lily [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Early Bloomers Continue to Emerge in the Holler

Recorded 175 images on our walk in the holler today, and about 75 yesterday. Here are some of my favorites...

Sunshine back-lights quince pistils and stamens. [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Yellow Adder's Tongue (Erythronium americanum), aka Trout Lilly [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Pepper Root (Dentaria laciniata) [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Peach blossom. [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Holler Awesome!

Found some absolutely awesome stuff growing in the holler the past couple of days...

Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Sharp lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) [Photo by Cathie Bird]

Star chickweed (Stellaria pubera) [Photo by Cathie Bird]

More holler awesome tomorrow.

Viva las violetas!

Woohoo! They're out! Today I was checking on progress of a trillium (species not certain -- that's why I'm checking!)and almost stepped on these:

After I got several pictures of them, I moved on toward the trillium and found these yellow violets:

All of these were out on the warmer south-facing side of Frog Pond Holler. The critters and I went on down the holler for our walk, but I didn't see any flowering violets -- just some leaves. Last year when I started photographing butterflies, I learned that certain butterfly species in their caterpillar stage feed on this particular plant. So, I've kept my hawk-eye out for them this spring and plan to look for caterpillars as they munch violets -- if I get some images, they'll be on this blog the same day!

I'm excited! Viva las violetas, las orugas y las mariposas!

[All photos by Cathie Bird]