Lee Hill in March

Hiking in March is challenging in many ways.  The trails are often wet and muddy as the earth thaws.  The temperature can vary across a 40 degree spectrum.  And no matter how desperate I am to find green sprouts or new leaves – any sign of life returning to the world – it’s just not there.

Until finally it is.

But it wasn’t there on this day, no matter how carefully I searched the forest floor or the trail side.  The only green came from the moss, itself winter-beaten and faded.

In two more weeks, there may be wildflowers dotting the forest; in four more weeks, they will almost certainly be present.  But until then, the palette remains cast in shades of brown.