April Adventures

Is it Spring yet????  It is true that the deciduous clad hillsides of western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia do not look like they are alive.

It is true that it snowed in Colombus, Ohio while we sojourned with our good friend, Julie Schmitt, on April 14th.

But amidst the brown duff in Cuyohoga National Park in Ohio, the swamp plants are coming alive!  Who even knew there was a national park in Ohio?

Along Tinker Creek in Cuyohoga, the cottonmouth babies are sunning on the rocks by the river.  Not to be confused with cute garter snakes.....these babes are aggressive!

Unlike in Washington, where nests are well hidden in the evergreens, these blue heron rookeries along the Cuyahoga River provide a great spectator sport, having no cover at all.  The herons come and go in the building process and some are already sitting on their nests/eggs?

Despite the Cuyohoga river being the most polluted river in the US not long ago (having caught fire 5-6 times), it is now being reclaimed and even the beavers have moved back.  No, this is not a beaver.  It is a Canadian Goose nesting on an islet in the midst of a huge beaver pond!  So cool! Right along the Ohio and Erie Towpath bike trail we traveled.

Along the brown hiking trails in Ohiopyle State Park, western Pennsylvania, the wildflowers are starting to pop out. Two days in the 70's and 80's helped!

Meadow Run (run=creek in eastern dialect) is sporting caddis fly or related larvae.  Plucked out of the creek below one of the many falls we visited.

Violets.  Drives Dirk nuts they are not violet.  Resisted the urge to eat some.

Hey, what are these exotic, rare, early spring Washington woods flowers doing here in Pennsylvania?  In the course of the three days we spend in Ohiopyle, PA, the warm weather encouraged the blooming of vast groves of these along the Great Allegany Passage bike trail and along the hiking trails.  Gorgeous!  Trilliums!

My bigger surprise was that red trillium also exist, in clumps among the white ones.  Note the bug, a sure sign of spring!!

Not to totally ignore Easter and the time of rebirth, we had bunny pancakes topped with Tennessee sorghum for breakfast Easter morning.  An easy fix on our propane burners, now functioning beautifully after the regulator repair job we had in Ohio.

For two days we were able to shed our outer layers, biking and hiking in t-shirts.

Did I mention that the flowers are bustin' out?  Lilies amidst the trillium!

Funny how it was 80 plus degrees the day we scheduled to raft the famous lower Youghiogheny river in Ohiopyle State Park in PA.  The rapids were just enough to keep us cooled down.

The O & E Towpath in Cuyohoga is now a great bike path in Ohio.  This old railway along several rivers forms a several hundred mile long crushed limestone bikeway called the Great Allegany Passage, from Maryland into Pennsylvania. With river views below and cliffs on the other side and trails and other scenic wonders along it, it is fun for a short or long distance.

Dirk wore his flowered shirt for our all-day hike on Easter (after pancakes!) where we visited three rivers, multiple waterfalls, rock scrambled, and hung out on rocks for picnicking and reading.  A great day in Ohiopyle!

Had to catch a little history in this history dense region, so stopped by a tavern on the first National Road.  But who wants to be a tavern keeper in 1844?

National Road first proposed by George Washington years after he fought his first battle here and started the French and Indian War at Fort Necessity.  Hint:  you did not want to be a member of that army.

Of course, the first sign of spring was the April 6th birthday of this spring chicken, Frank Havlak, Dirk's dad.  He turned 90 and we had a grand celebration and family gathering.  Here he is modeling his new Texas Rangers #90 jersey!

What a special treat that all three of our kids could be there and 2/3 significant others.  This was very special for us!  Caitlin, Rick, Jessica, Kris, and Beth Ann for those who don't know!

Then Rick, Caitlin, and I split for Arizona for a brief visit with my 92 year old mom. She doesn't remember much anymore, but still likes visitors.  BUT SHE DOES NOT LIKE TO GO TO THE BOTANICAL GARDENS!!!!!!

So Rick and I went after Caitlin had departed and mom went to rest.   Note the Chihuly glass stuck amidst real plants in the background.  But it is nearly past spring here, as temperatures were hitting the summer time range!  But that is Arizona.  We will be enjoying our repaired heater as we weather 29 degrees in highland West Virginia tonight!  Hoping for the resumption of spring as we head into May!