June 3, 2007, Rain in a Green World

I am up early to get in a hike before the rain. As I head through the woods I think I should have gotten out at 5:30 rather than an hour later. There is a beautiful morning bird chorus these days. To be in the woods at that time is very special. It takes an effort though, to be up and out before dawn.

The thunder starts, and the rain follows while I am out. The rain drums on the leaves but none makes it to the ground. It is fun to watch the rain over the lower elevations. The layers of green get more and more subdued in the distance. Each ridge and valley like a deeper layer in the distance.

After I get back to my house the rain picks up. There is a steady rhythm to the drumming of the rain. The birds dart across the open areas. The smaller ones like the Goldfinch and chickadee can use a single maple leaf for cover. A the feeders are doing a steady business. A Tufted Titmouse, completely drenched, comes in. The rain makes a convenient way to take a shower.

The rain saturates the colors. The predominant color is green. Yellows are especially bright. A Goldfinch, a Buttercup, an Iris, all stand out at a distance in this light. But on a day like today, here in the woods, it is a green world. Almost everything is green from the sedges and grasses on the forest floor all the way up. The canopy is complete so I am surrounded by green. It is remarkable. Other colors are just dots on a canvas of green.