Spring Walk

After lunch today,  Dan and I headed out to walk to see what we could see at the heron rookery.

It's a delightful Spring day, raining pink petals from the flowering cherry trees.

The redbud trees are also in full bloom.

Last summer this route was washed out by heavy rains that flooded many places.  Now the crossing has been reinforced with rocks.

Looking downstream.

Looking upstream.

Some trees are in fuller leaf than others.

We spotted two trees with heron nests. These didn't appear occupied now.  They probably were earlier in March.

The light green and blue make such a nice contrast.

Under foot was a small leaf plant.

It was everywhere which means its likely to be an invasive carpeting the forest floor.

Walking back here's the old road bed now a service road to underground pipelines.

It's lined on either side with old locust trees which are very slow to green each spring.

Locust wood is very hard and was used for fence posts.

The old road would have been from Columbia Pike (now U.S. route 29) to this old home: Oakland Manor, built in 1811.  Columbia Pike got its name for the turnpike company that once owned it.  My city, Columbia, took its name from the road that bisects the city.

This once stately home is now owned by the Town Center Village of Columbia.  Their offices are there and its rented frequently for weddings and other fancy occasions.  It sits directly behind Vantage House where I live.