Whether I deserved it or not... whether I expected it or not... I managed to turn 69 today, and after an earlier celebration that included a scrumptious carrot cake my daughter made and kids and grandkids at the table to sing "Happy Birthday," I opted to spend at least a part of the afternoon on the trail—one of my favorites, the one with the blue blazes that starts near Wyassup Lake. This particular section of hiking path includes an uncommon stretch of higher pH soil that enables an equally uncommon stretch of less-acidic-loving plants to thrive. The Round-lobed Hepatica were past flowering; the Trout Lilies, Nodding Trillium, Yellow Violets, and Maidenhair Ferns in the deep woods were not quite ready to put on a show. But the first Blue Cohosh flowers were beginning to bloom so I had the present I desired. That I'd need to return to see other gifts open in a week or two was, itself, a fine additional present.