Whispering the Names of Things in a Walk Through the Woods

"....My lips whispered over the names of things
in the meadows, in the orchard, in the woods,

where I sometimes stood for long moments

listening to some bird telling me of the strangeness of myself;

rocked in the sinewy arms of summer."    Ruth Stone

A walk through University Woods in Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday June 1.  It was such a delight to see so many old friends-spring or early summer flowers.  

I carried this journal with me and a pen...and I would stop when I saw one I loved and try to make some marks that would call back the flower or tree to me.  June flowers in southern WI are nostalgic for me.  I may have time to add some color later.

"OH" I would gasp at the Jack in the Pulpits. Memories rushing around me of other places I had found them in years gone by.  Yellow Lady's Slipper in full bloom ready for some tiny lady to slip her plump feet into...wow.  

And such a jewel,  a humming bird nest with a tiny humming bird sitting on it near quite near a bench in a Sycamore tree.  OH my. 

We think she might still have been building it as she seemed to us to be gathering spider webs...really she was...and bringing them back to the tiny nest.  

Too late for trillium and violet but I might catch a few at the cabin in the north woods next week where colder temps keep things slower in coming.  

We continue to went our way around southern WI and northern Illinois now for a few more days.  Involved in family gatherings and enjoying old friends.  We are in a mood of wanting to be done with the trip and still looking forward to things.  

Our granddaughter will graduate tonight and it "appears" that the weather front which warned of rain for today all week long as pushed that off one more day!  How lovely.  So outside us in DeForest, WI this morning, we see nothing but blue skies.  

We are happy not to be rushed in leaving this morning.  

We had a lovely hot breakfast in the hotel and now are slowly gathering our things, showering and soon will be heading off again.

Lucky us.