The busy season begins

We finally got some good rain Friday evening and Saturday and it looks like the air will be calm for a few days so that the moisture can soak in rather than blowing away. The ground has been very dry and we need plenty of April showers. Continue to pray for rain.
Warm weather forecast for this week will have flowers popping out every where. I've seen patches of bloodroot along Rt. 39 just east of Warm Springs and along 220 in a number of locations. The Walton Tract continues to be spectacular. The bluebells are getting a good start at the canoe launch. The Marsh Marigold are in bloom in the wet areas near the canoe launch. The big patch of trillium at the bottom of the hill should be open this week along with many trillium along the road.
Our native orchids will begin to make an appearance in the coming weeks. A good find in this area would be Wister's coralroot which hasn't been recorded from Bath County but could be here. Showy Orchis will be around by the end of the month.
For those of you heading out with a camera, here are a couple of tips. Most digital cameras, even the less expensive point and shoots, can take good flower photos. Look for a macro mode setting which will allow the camera to focus when very close to the flower. You may have to move back and forth from the flower a bit to get within the focus range. You can always crop a bit later when make breaks. And don't forget that the most important piece of equipment you can carry with your camera for good flower photos is a tripod or monopod. Either of these will also help with those great shots from the overlook of the fog hanging low in the valleys in the morning.
Look for Dutchman's breeches to be blooming in many locations this week.