Yesterday I abandoned my usual lazy morning to join a daughter and my husband on a hike in Case Woodlot.
It was lovely.
I must admit that I started the morning out of sorts, a poor sleep can do that, but the quietness of the morning, with its trees and well laid paths, won me over. I was delighted by the sight of a young American Beech standing alone in a grove of still bare trees. It had kept its leaves over the winter and they had turned an ethereal off white, fluttering in the light breeze. They almost glowed against the dark grey backdrop of evergreens and winter cold branches of its neighbours. Victoria, my daughter turned botanist, agreed with me that the moving leaves looked just like fairy wings.
I have plucked two leaves which I hope to press into a journal. My guide to edible plants told me that The American Beech has nuts which may be harvested for food and I want to document that I have actually identified something. My usual method of identifying nature's population resembles a visitor in an art gallery. Comments like, " That's pretty! " or the famous, "What's that green thingy over there? Beside the tree? No, the other tree?"are my normal contribution. But yesterday with the help of my biologist husband and my trusty guide book I had actually identified something. Outstanding!
Christine
