It was a rough winter here in Rhode Island on many levels. I had an injury that kept me from skiing and hiking for a couple of months. I tried to be mature about it, but I really missed my time outdoors and I did get grumpy for a while.

I’ve been getting back out recently, just in time for spring to spring, if you know what I mean. On this trail, it looks like it’s going to be another awesome year for Lady Slipper orchids. These cypripediums grow in the most unlikely places; in tiny soil pockets on rocks, and sometimes right in the middle of trails. But try growing them in your garden if they aren’t there already and you’ll see how demanding these orchids can be. Perhaps it’s better to leave them in the woods and just enjoy them there. (Of course, no plants should ever be collected in the wild…)

The woods are greening up in that special tender shade that only happens in the spring.

Every time we go out, something else is budding, blooming or leafing…like this pine putting out some impressive candles.

For those hikers with thick fur coats, spring is also a time to slip quietly into a secret pool.

Rhode Island is an underrated hiking paradise. In every season.