woodland trail in morning

I'm still gearing up for the Tornado Chase trip next week, but wanted to share a few photos of a gorgeous New Hampshire Spring morning with you.

Spring is a little late this year because of last Winter's record snowfall, which broke 100-year records and almost topped the all-time snowfall record for the State.

But, at last, the snows are gone, the ice has melted, and life is very quickly returning to the forests, so fast you can easily see changes even from one day to the next.

This trail meanders through a State Park behind my house. It's a great 4-season walk; snowshoes in the winter, and hiking boots the rest of the year.

(Larger versions of the photos are available, free, here: http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd54/flanga_bucket/20080505_nwm/ )

It was a beautiful, sunny, clear morning today.

There are several small streams running through the park, feeding a modest lake.

New growth is everywhere, and the first floor is covered with these small plants, just on the verge of flowering.

The ferns are unfolding:
Even the mosses are getting into the act.

The ponds are still cold, the aquatic plant life still submerged but growing towards the air.
Although the water's cold, the sun is gloriously warm.

And these guys sure know how to take advantage of the solar warmth. I just may mimic them later today, when the sun swings around and bathes my home's deck in warmth.

On a totally unrelated note, I just got a gorgeous, low-cost 22" LCD monitor from a company I never normally associate with high-tech; and also discovered a totally bogus piece of software you should stay far, far away from. I'll tell you about those items in an upcoming post!