The Good Shepherd Swamp

Behind the Good Shepherd Complex, a place that provides nursing and assisted living care as well as a pre-school, there is a nature area consisting of some upland woods but also a marsh.  

For years, I took my pal Jake Dog, an Australian shepherd, to the swamp.  In those days, there was a mile long trail that had been created by a Boy Scout for his Eagle badge.  After Jake died, I don't think I had been there more than once or twice.

This morning I began to wonder aloud if the marsh marigolds were in bloom.  In the spring, they are a swath of gold along the edge of the creek.  Gary organized an expedition right away.  The sun was shining the day was warm.  It would be perfect.

Right off the bat we found that no one had been going into those woods.  The path was so overgrown that it was mostly unrecognizable.  After all the recent rain and snow we were leaping over puddles, trying to find dry places.   I had the foresight to wear boots but Gary's sports shoes got soaked very soon.  But we persevered.  

We worked our way from south to north, looking for wildflowers. There were trout lily leaves everywhere, but they were not in flower.  The trilliums and jack-in-the pulpits were still a no show.  Gary doubted we would find any marsh marigolds at all.  But I charged toward the creek anyhow.  Finally, I found the plants, all in bud and then there they were, the golden flowers.  Just one patch.  By next week, they'll all be blooming. I'll be there.

As we stumbled and clambered through the swamp, the crows began to scream.  When this hiker hears a "murder" of crows, she looks up to see what they are cawing at. Sure enough, it was a pair of great horned owls who fly so silently, one would never hear them. They kept swooping through the woods pursued by the crows.  Gary wondered why they didn't leave to escape their persecutors.  

A few steps more and we found the problem.  An owlet had fallen or jumped out of its nest and was on the ground.   We snapped a picture and moved on.  Will it survive?  We leave that to the owls and nature.  It could be a fox will be feasting tonight.

One last surprise before we left, the first trout lily of the summer.  With all those leaves, there will be another golden carpet within the next two weeks.

We'll be back on the next warm day, Gary with boots.