TRR photo by Sandy Long Bluets have begun to appear in patches along grassy or moss-studded trails and can be seen stitched along the edges of gravel roads throughout the region. The four-petaled blooms range from white to palest blue to a deep, nearly purple hue, surrounding a golden center. Bluets are members of the bedstraw family.

Delicate delights

The Upper Delaware River region is ablaze with many showy blooms at this time of year. Particularly obvious are the exuberant expressions of the season, displayed by shrubs and trees in flower.

But tucked into the landscape’s nooks and crannies are the hidden blooms that reward the attentive observer—the spring wildflowers. Characterizing many of these beauties is a certain frail delicacy that has long captured the imaginations of artists, poets and those who appreciate nature’s exquisite subtleties.

Many spring wildflowers conclude blooming by early June. So don’t delay. Take a wildflower walk today.

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A perfect rarity

By ED WESELY

MILANVILLE, PA —Until recently, I’d seen white deer a time or two, but never a pure white skunk like the one above. A skunk that’s been visiting our barn has white sides, but is compromised by a black stripe along its back. But when I braked my car on May 4, the wary animal that ambled into a nearby field was perfect, from shoulders to elegant tail.

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Grants available for Trout in the Classroom program

PENNSYLVANIA—Grants to implement the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program are currently available through the PA Council of Trout Unlimited for the 2008 to 2009 school year.

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Also in this issue:

• Master Gardeners hold plant sale