A 12-Tick 4-morel woods walk

Stalling on finishing off the latest book I am working on, 75th anniversary of the Sterling Old Settler's picnic--due June 30th at the picnic, I took a walk in the woods on the first partly sunny afternoon in a while.  

I wasn't looking for morels, but did find 4 more and a few that I left that were too old.  I bumped into my first real mosquito attack back in the deep wet woods and since I returned have found 12 ticks--the big ones--and expect more yet. 

The thorn apples are blooming wonderfully and have their own unique perfume.  The blackcherries and elderberries are full bloom too, and the wild geraniums add a violet contrast to the green ferns along my paths. 

Maiden hair fern 

Thorn apples all through the old cow pasture

Black cherries are all through the woods, some huge.

Thorn apple trees are the last to bloom; have tiny red apples loved by the birds, deer and bears and are the first to lose their leaves in the late summer.   They have long sharp thorns to keep cows from grazing them off. 

And by the time I got these pictures added here I found it was a 14 tick walk with hints of more yet.