Rain, You Say?

Big drops of rain spit off my hat as soon as I stepped out of the car. Opening the back door to retrieve my binoculars left a dark gray line of wet on the rear seat.  And, garbage bag in hand, we were off!

Soggy as it was, I have to admit it was kid-like fun splashing along the trails that are more like flowing streams, particularly in the southwest corner of the Patch. There, the water is flowing so quickly it doesn't have time to pick up any dirt, and the water runs clear as it slips toward the creek. In other places, sticky mud sucks at your every step.

It seems every new place I look now, with the vegetation in slumber and beat down by the rain, there is a new scattering of garbage.  I completely filled the bag today and had to stop. Then we found the bike, or what's left of it.....

On the positive side, the osoberry leaves are showing green:

Not one of my better pictures, but it was raining and I didn't want to soak my phone!

Nine species of birds braved the downpour, including a new one at the Patch for us, a Hutton's vireo!