“March 31st Hepatica”
“Spring knows no bounds, when life feels the need to erupt, it does so in its own time.” – Ed Lehming
This has been a truly remarkable year. Just a few days ago, the forests still had patches of ice and snow and the ground was locked in frost. Today, March 31st, I returned to a patch of Hepatica which seemed to have survived the winter unscathed only to find it, and others around it, had started to bloom.
In all my years hiking the local forests, I have never seen them bloom this early. If you look through my posts, you will see the bloom happens in early May, a full month later.
That bodes well for an early spring, something that fills me with real joy. After months of winter, even the thought of greenery returning early is like the scene in the movie The Wizard of Oz when the film shifts for black and white to full colour. It feels like an awakening. It’s a much needed injection of life into a world that has seemed so dark. Sure, I have been out enjoying what nutre had to offer, but the rest of the world around me has been a dark and fearful place. To see new life arriving so soon and with such vigour certainly is encouraging.
The image above was made with my trusty iPhone 12 Pro, which I take with me on hikes when I don’t have a specific reason to carry my full kit. The iPhone has been great for capturing moments as they pop up. It’s not as versatile as my Nikon bt did provide me with a ‘primer’ image, something to look at as I plan a return visit today with my tripod and macro lens. Stay tuned, the time of wildflowers is upon me.
iPhone 12 Pro @ 4.2 mm
1/1233 sec, f/1.6, ISO 32
Ed Lehming Photography 
I’m looking forward to the wildflowers, Ed, as I loved seeing them in Illinois, but we don’t get them in this part of Arizona. Such delicate beauty. I take a lot of my photos with my iPhone too, although it’s not nearly as new a model as yours. It has the advantage of easily going with me everywhere and on a cool morning, will slip easily into the pocket of my hiking pants or into a fanny pack.
janet
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