With back to back "journeys of discovery" under my belt, I really wanted to do another trek, but I also really needed to get some work done on the house, so I opted for something more modest... well, in terms of its discovery potential. Just past the local farms, there's a very steep uphill that I've avoided since the surgery, but I was feeling brave and I started climbing. No surprise—I had to drop down several gears. That, however, was just perfect, because it gave me time to scan the roadside for Trout Lilies. These low-growing spring ephemerals sport lovely speckled leaves, which are said to resemble the color pattern of Brook Trout, hence the common name. Erythronium americanum, however, is only common in our neighborhood along this part particular stretch of rural road, and this year wasn't a great one for Trout Lily flowers. From the looks of the lurid vine in the background and the many others of its kind in the area, it looks like, alas, its going to be an absolutely banner year for Poison Ivy.