Downy Woodpecker at Great Bear Farms 5-19-05. I was sitting on a rock near the river when the bird flew into the tree next to me. 

My nemesis: poison ivy!! Coming out in the woods and in my yard and creeping itchily toward me! Wach out! Leaf-lets of three, let it be! 

Dandelion seeds ready to take flight. 

Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris)

I stopped tonight on my way home from Maine at Verona Beach State Park. I found Marsh Marigolds (Cowslips, Caltha palustris) in flower in the marsh there. The flowers that were starting to go by turned white. Marsh marigolds are in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and have multiple styles and many stamens. (To see a "pastels" version of this same photo, click here)

Deer Skull, NH

Deer Skull, NH, 5/13/05. This skull is missing the forward portion of the upper jaw. Note where the tines have beened chewed for calcium by mice and squirrels. If left long enough in the woods, it would eventually disappear almost entirely, between being eaten and dissolving. The teeth would last the longest. (At the home of Heidi and Ken Chester)