Up to my oxters in Dame's Rocket

Some of the more obsevant old-timers at this blog will have noticed my output has declined during the past few days. Part of that is attributable to chores (annual garage cleaning), and part to tedious efforts trying to lead troops of barbarians to overthrow Rome and Byzantium at the Monarch level of Civilization III.

But the most pleasant distraction has been the great outdoors. Here in the Midwest there is a window of opportunity between snow and mosquitoes which needs to be taken advantage of as much as possible. I've been driving up near Baraboo to hike the Honey Creek State Natural Area. One has to wait until rainy days have passed, because to reach the distal parts of the valley one has to cross the creek at least four times, and that's not practical when the water is knee-deep. If you time it just right the creek will be benign and the wildflowers spectacular. The early spring ephemerals (trillium, Dutchman's breeches, trout-lily, etc) in the woods are mostly gone now, replaced by waist-high (?cinnamon) ferns. The floral show is now shifting to the open spaces; this past week it was the creekside which is maxing out with the annual bloom of Dame's Rocket. In a few weeks these will bow to the meadow species at the upper reaches of the valley.

I highly recommend this site, but would caution that as a state "natural area" it has no "amenities" and few improvements. The path is well worn near the trailhead, but becomes less-travelled and more braided in the upper reaches; in the third photo above the path goes through that stand of flowers - one has to know where it is, or just plunge onward hoping for the best. I hiked for four hours midweek and never saw another human. Delightful.

(The photos enlarge to wallpaper size with a click...)