Screaming Clarity

These last few days have been so cool, clear, and dry they make you want to scream. We’ve done some grilling on the deck, and then watched the various backyard birds come and go to the feeders as evening slowly descends: goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, house finches, downies, cardinals—sometimes scrapping with one another, more often taking their turn.

That 16-mile spin along the bicycle path at Elm Creek Park has never seemed so fine. The water in the creek is high, the raspberries and blackberries are getting ripe. Lots of wildflowers in the fields, and birds still singing everywhere. It’s the best suburban trail in the Twin Cities. The terrain rises and falls, you pass through woods of several kinds, across open fields, past swamps, and nary a McMansion in sight. We took the route a month ago and surprised a red fox and a lone turkey out for a stroll. The other day we saw less wildlife but the prairie flowers are coming into bloom, including the bright orange butterfly weed.

You can see a few photos I took along the trail here.