The Sun was such a glorious sight on Wednesday, I ran outside with the camera to capture a bit of it.

I noticed the large buckeye tree was leaning but never imagined that, two days later,

it would fall.

The water wasn't higher or faster than before. The ground was just too saturated to hold it.

Good grief.

We lost an empty nest box on that tree but there are other boxes around the yard that are still well anchored.

Babies!

There are at least three in the litter, high and dry and safe.

Two weeks ago, grandnephew Jacob and I went birding at Highbanks Metropark. Jennifer and Steve of the common milkweed, naturalists extraordinaire, came along and made it a special afternoon.

We didn't see many birds, it being a storm-threatened afternoon, but saw some flowers,
like this Goldenseal,

and Jacob was excited about fungi

which he enjoyed examining and squishing.

Last weekend, there was a break in the weather and trip to the Woods was in order.

Brown was giving way to green

and vernal pools were around every bend.

Spring Beauty

A patch of Wild Leeks had been munched on by... rabbits? squirrels? deer?

Virginia Creeper

Wild Geranium

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

More 'shrooms

The Swamp, at the back of the property, is filling in with fallen trees.

Back in the yard, a few flowers managed to fight their way up through the mud.

Celandine Poppies

Trilliums

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks stopped by for a nibble;
two males and a female were here for much of the week.

Wild Columbines are so beautifully intricate.

Columbine with Ants