Town Forest walks

We haven't walked in the Town Forest in two years.  The first year, the pandemic was in full swing, and last year, Paul wasn't up to it, our dear walking friend was dying, and other walkers were busy.  Paul and I resolved to get more walks in there this summer and took our first one this morning.  We left home around 8 am, before it got too hot.  The leaves are just beginning to pop out, so much of the area was sunny or very lightly dappled.  It will be deep forest in a few weeks.  It was good to get out today, though, because it's quite busy in the forest on weekends.  It's a multi-use trail, so there are walkers, bikers, disc golfers, and the occasional horse.

Our first destination was The Old Man in the Quarry, just off the #6 Trail which is lined by sweetly blooming periwinkle.  Vinca is an invasive "weed" but really lovely.  Still, it's obvious why they call it "invasive," since it has really been spreading fast through that area of the forest.  Now that it has taken hold, it will be impossible to remove, which is OK by me.

The Old Man does bear a slight resemblance to what used to be the Old Man in the Mountain in New Hampshire before it fell down.  There's a picnic table and a disc golf hole nearby, so it's a nice spot to sit and watch the world go by.  We proceeded on to the #6 Quarry and then along the Mainline trail for a while before returning to the car.  

There are still red trillium blooming here and there, but many of the early blooms seem to have come and gone.  We also saw some shad blooming, and soon the apple trees will start.

We walked a little under a mile and returned home by 9 am when it was already getting hot out.  Glad we went, we hope to get out there a few times a week now.