SUNDAY AFTERNOON HIKE

I love my local State Park!  And I love taking walks in the spring, watching the new green growth, and the awakening of the prairie and woods.  Sunday we took our first hike of the spring.  The day was sunny and warm, and I grabbed my camera and a bottle of water and off we went!  This is the upper falls at our State Park.  Often by summer's end there is only a trickle of water running over the rocks, but after the many snowfalls this winter, and now the quick thaw this spring, it is gushing with icy cold water.

In the second photo you can see a little of the upper falls beyond the bridge, and the much larger lower falls on this side of the bridge.  I'm a little surprised that my pictures didn't catch more people than they did.  There were a lot of people out there, strolling the paths, enjoying the sunshine, and even taking graduation pictures.

Then we went to the other section of the park, about a mile away from the falls, to the prairie where I love to hike.  We headed out down a trail, enjoying the robins perched in trees, on rocks, on the ground, and in the middle of our path.   And look at what's happening!

Teeny, tiny buds are appearing on trees and bushes!  Yea!  Spring has sprung!

I found some green in a few places, like in this moss.............

......and in these little sprouts of grass poking through the brown winter dried grasses.

And the park workers have been busy clearing out the invasive sumac and cedar trees.  I'm guessing they will be doing a controlled burn one of these next days, and then we will really see the green come forth!  And I'll be back out on the trails, hiking and taking pictures, just as I do every spring.  Did I say that I love Minnesota State Parks?