I am dedicating this blog posting to my Mom and Dad.
My Mom loved Violets above all other flowers, my Dad gave her pressed Violets in a love note a few days before he passed away.  She kept his note nearby until she passed away twenty years later.

His love note began “The flowers that bloom in the spring tra la”  The early spring weather has brought forth lovely clusters of Bird Foot Violets.  Each delicate bloom is a reminder of my parents.

Spring warmth has awoken tender green plants along the edges of the trails.  Saucer Magnolias are now covered in fuzzy flower pods and Dogwood Trees have tiny pink ball shaped buds.  A few Tree branches in the park have already burst out in a spiny orange blossom covering.  The Forest has awakened early with a subtle ballet of new growth and color.

Love to ALL!
Lee

Nearly two months of extreme heat followed by several severe late summer storms has taken a toll on park wildlife populations.  Prior to the heat followed by high winds and rain Chipmunks and Squirrels could be seen in or below many Trees.  On some days I hardly knew which way to turn my lens as there was so much activity. I am thankful today to spot a Squirrel I call Bob because of the missing portion of her tail.  She lives near the Hot Springs National Park Entrance and has erratic road crossing skills.

The multiple families of Brown Thrashers have vanished from the lower portions of Hot Springs National Park.  The once abundant highly visible Northern Mockingbirds are now a rare sighting.  White Throated Sparrows that once flocked along the southern slope of Hot Springs Mountain appear only in small numbers at the top in the picnic area.

Although there are many American Robins the flocks are smaller than in years past. Cardinals that once flourished on both North and Hot Springs Mountains are a rare sighting beyond Dead Chief Trail.  Pine Warblers too have become a rare sight within the park as are many other warblers that would normally be seen in the winter months.

My constant winter companions of winters past the Red Bellied Woodpecker have also vanished from their regular nesting sites.  I have only seen two and heard one in the past three months.  I miss being verbally heckled by the numerous juvenile Blue Jays that would follow me across the park.

Perhaps the moderate winter of the north has kept the birds away.  However I think the weather extremes of the past summer have significantly reduced bird populations.  Those birds that flock in the park year round are scarce.  As I review old videos I remember the symphony of birdsong that used to echo through the Forest.  The silence in the park is heartbreaking.

Love to ALL!
Lee

A beautiful icy winter breeze is blowing through the Forest as my beloved husband Rick and I head out for a morning hike.  Above us two flocks of birds are darting back and forth over Hot Springs and North Mountains.  As we enter Hot Springs National Park Nature displays a taste of spring with a glorious purple Myrtle (Periwinkle) bloom.

When we reach the Upper Dogwood Trail the faint beeping of a Downy Woodpecker lingers and slowly fades as we move deeper into the Forest.  Soon we are aware there are no voices of other hikers, no rustling in the Leaves and no bird song, it is as if the entire Forest has fallen into a deep sleep.  We become aware of muffled crunch of our boots on the damp autumn Leaves coating the trails as it becomes the only sound as we cross from North to Hot Springs Mountain.

Nearing the end of our hike I spot a tiny cluster in debris in a Tree to my side. On closer inspection we can see it is an intricately woven bird nest masquerading as a clump of leaves.  A beautiful discovery at the conclusion of a perfect morning in the Forest.

Love to ALL!
Lee

PS check out the wonderful Morris Minor Traveller that we spotted at the Fountain in the Park. Rick identified the make when we were still several hundred feet away

The winter Forest sleeps and dreams of spring.
~ Lee Hiller

It was day of unforseen moments,  the kind of hike where peace could not be found.  Nearing the half way point on my hike I had to turn around as the NPS (National Park Service) was on the trail ahead using trail buggys and mini earth mover.  I noticed a tank on the back of a trail buggy, not sure what was being sprayed I retuned home on the trails I had already traversed. Distracted by life when I returned home I inadvertantly formatted the wrong camera card wiping out a morning of scenic trail views.

Perhaps a lesson, details hold a better view of Nature in her winter form.  Rocks painted yellow by Fungus, red Leaves glowing on the trail edges, dried floral bouquets and tiny songbirds.  Although the overall view of the winter Forest can be considered bleak there are hidden treasures in plain sight.

The loss of the images made me realize they present only one aspect of winter in the park.  Hot Springs National Park is a combination of subtle details to be savored as individual tiles in the mosaic of the sleeping Forest.

Love to ALL!
Lee

Within the quiet Rock and swaying blade of Grass is a message of Love from the Universe.
~ Lee Hiller

Winter has for the most part eluded Hot Springs National Park.  The morning chill of December and January hovers around the mid 30s and warming into the low 60s by the afternoon.  No snow, no freezing fog, I feel cheated as winters chill has barely brushed the winter landscape decorating with a scarce  sprinkling of Frost Flowers.

As I hike up the Mountain I spot tiny spires  of red among the winter greenery.  Delicate flames lighting my journey along the trail leading higher into the Forest. On closer inspection they are not flower buds as I first imagined.  The colorful display is an unfurling ballet of leaves, a sight most often seen as spring arrives in late March or early April.

Further up the Mountain I pause below a Tree that initially I believed held tiny yet to fall rust colored leaves.  Above me glowing in the soft winter morning light are branches that have begun to blossom.  These early to arrive orange buds are glorious against the vibrant blue sky.  The sun is illuminating rocks, leaves and fungi along the trail edges as I near the top of the mountain.

At the top I head over to the Hot Springs Mountain Trail.  When I reach the trail head on the north face of Hot Springs Mountain a dimly lit winter landscape of Trees sculpted by past storms awaits me. Bright blue skies give way to pale aqua and colorful flora is replaced with subtle shades of brown.  This near monochromatic trail is like stepping onto another planet, a reverse Wizard Of Oz moment.  I pause to let my Heart show my eyes the beauty of the path ahead.  As I near the bottom of the mountain a squirrrel comes down a Tree to take a look at me.  A perfect end to a lovely morning in the Forest.

Happy Hiking!
Love to ALL,
Lee