Farm sculpture, Clarks Falls

Today's walk agenda revolved around a search for blooming Trout Lilies: low-to-the-ground spring ephemeral wildflowers that always emerge in one signature spot right around the time of the opening of trout season in Connecticut. Or, well, did... a couple of years ago, the State, apparently in an effort to compete with Rhode Island and Massachusetts, whose fishing season always opened a week earlier, moved their opening into line with our neighbor states, so Trout Lily no longer quite works as a seasonal signature species. But in honor of history, I made this the Erythronium americanum opening search weekend. It quickly became apparent that I was too early and all I spotted was a handful of spotted Trout Lily leaves, the appearance of which gives the plants their common name. As I walked on, however, I noticed something else—a rather depressing amount of forest clearing to expand a local dairy farm. But I was cheered when I noticed that the carnage was fronted by an amazing ephemeral sculpture. I don't know how or why this was done, but clearly, one of my neighbors has an artistic streak... and a really deft hand with either a front-end loader or a backhoe.