Rainy Day Post

What better thing to do on a rainy day but post pictures of pretty days bearing the fruits of rainy days?

Wild Azalea
(click photos to enlarge)

Azaleas up front, Mountain Laurel behind with Star Anise mixed in

I have been living here for more than 30 years now and honestly believe I have never seen the creek so full of blooms. This is the year for all nature photographers in the area to get out and explore the scenery. Wild Azaleas are in full bloom now with Mountain Laurel quickly opening around it.

Hurricane Creek is one of the special places where all of these can be found growing together.
Wild Azalea...

Pink Alabama Azalea

The Azaleas come in several colors along the creek. They range from hot pink to light pink and white.
My favorite is the Azalea alabamense. (seen below)

azalea alabamense

It has a single yellow tongue on all white leaves. The smell is a delicious lemony fragrance that can be detected throughout the watershed for about 3 weeks.

azalea alabamense

                                                                                                                                                          
Dogwoods are beginning to fade a bit but there are some really pretty ones left if you look for them.

The ground cover is almost too much to photograph with everything from Dwarf Iris to Spider Wort.

Spider Wort

Coreopsis- auriculata. Eared tickseeds

Dwarf Iris

Wild Geranium

I posted this photo of my Huckleberry bush earlier.

 Same bush after a little sun and rain

 Even the Mulberry trees are more abundantly full than I have ever seen them. Looks like it will be a great season for wine and jelly makers!

Take time this season folks to go out in the woods and appreciate the wonderful gifts of Spring!

Don't forget to look up. Many treasures are hidden in the tree tops like this Cross Vine 

(seen above) and the almost unseen Tulip Poplar Trees.

In New Zealand the unfurling fern is called a Koru. It is a symbol of sign of overall renewal.  It symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. Hurricane Creek is just that. It is a creek in recovery full of new life every year and one of the most peaceful places on Earth. Everyone should take the time to get out there!

LETTER: Hurricane Creek cleanup successful

Jim Shaddox
President of Friends of Hurricane Creek
Tuscaloosa

Published: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 7:50 p.m.

Dear Editor: On a gorgeous Saturday, March 6, Friends of Hurricane Creek hosted their 22nd Creek Cleanup with the help of many volunteers who care about keeping our beautiful creek clean.

A sense of community and caring is something we members of FOHC feel especially good about during and after days like this. It buoys our sense of optimism that others will carry on our work when we no longer can. I want to thank all those who got up early from in town and out to get a little dirty and sweaty for a good cause. A couple dozen or more had the fun of picking up litter from a canoe at a perfect water level for paddling.

Lunch was outstanding as usual, very tasty with good variety, topped off by Nancy Callahan’s coveted banana pudding.

Our board is also to be commended for organizing, donating and working the event that came off so well. Last, but certainly not least, a special thanks to our donors large and small who help fund our ongoing work of which this is a part.

Restoration of Hurricane Creek has been a long, hard struggle. This past Saturday was a celebration of the renewal of our creek as full of life, forever flowing. We look forward to next year’s cleanup and festival, but keep in touch via our web site
www.hurricanecreek.org for upcoming events and news till then.