Red maple blooms, Bell

Most of today was given over to writing projects and planning for renovations on the home front, but on a gray and chilly afternoon, I did manage to put some mileage on my legs. There wasn't much new to report on the natural history front, save that an increasing chill in the air has stilled the frogs and quieted salamander ardor... at least for a while. Despite the more typical March coolness, the buds of many plants continue to swell, and when I was trekking though the old field at the Bell Cedar Swamp refuge, I noticed a wonderfully sweet smell. The natural perfume was vaguely familiar—a scent I knew I'd enjoyed before but whose maker I couldn't quite identify. When I scanned the landscape, I found the source: this year's first Red Maple blossoms. The smell of these exquisite tree flowers is, for me, the olfactory essence of early spring, which starts officially just after midnight. Once I've taken in Red Maple perfume, the vernal season has already begun.