Duke Gardens in the time of Covid 19

Two days ago, Duke announced that Duke Gardens would be closing to the public until further notice, starting at dusk that evening, so E, S, and I skedaddled over there to see what we could see. I'm pretty sure that counted as attending a gathering of over 100 people, because many other people had the same idea.

En route; this gorgeous blooming tree was near W. Trinity & Washington.

En route: the Duke expression wall. Peace be with us all!

E's garden goal was to catch a falling cherry petal mid-air.

 

Mission accomplished.

Yet more plants and bugs

Ten days ago, I posted this photo of a baby prickly pear pad:

Here's what it looks like today:

For a plant that grows slowly, what a huge investment of energy that is!

Ten days ago, I didn't post this photo of a mystery onion-like weed in our yard:

It's looking much more interesting today:

The main reason I was outside taking photos this morning was to document the gorgeous purple oregano flowers.

I'm once again delighted with how my Sony RX100 II enables me to observe things in pictures that I'd completely miss in real life, such as this Peucetia viridans (green lynx spider):

And with that segue back to bugs, here's an Apheloria tigana on the move out by the Eno River. I never realized they stood so high above the ground, but I guess their legs have to climb over some pretty bumpy terrain.

More bugs and flowers

While our prickly pear is busy this year growing new pads, a neighbor's is bursting with flowers and soon-to-be fruits. I stopped by to take some cactus photos, and one yard/flower led to another....

Magnolia flower a smidge past its prime

Queen Anne's Lace with a fly dressed in a rainbow suit

Prickly pear

Several years ago, when we were walking home from his school, E and I came across a huge prickly pear cactus that had been hit by a car. Cactus pads were scattered all over the curb and in the street. We took a folder out of his backpack, put a pair of pads on it, and carried them home. While we were walking, we made up a song:

Refrain:
Prickly pear, prickly pear,
I've got a pair of prickly pear.
Prickly pear, prickly pear,
I've got a pair of prickly pear.

Prickly pear before me,

prickly pear behind,

prickly pear to the left and right,

prickly pear on my mind.

Prickly pear above me,

prickly pear below,

prickly pear to the sides,

prickly pear on the go.

Refrain

Prickly pear to the north,

prickly pear to the south,

prickly pear to the east and west,

prickly pear in my mouth!?

Prickly pear in the morning

and in the afternoon,

prickly pear in the evening,

prickly pear sometime soon.

Refrain

When we got home, we planted the pads on the edge of our front yard. They rooted and grew, but it wasn't the best spot. Every time a pad got knocked off by a wayward soccer ball, we'd dig another hole and drop the pad in.

This spring, we moved the prickly pears to the gaping hole left behind by a giant rosemary bush that hadn't survived the cold winter. It's a much better spot, and the cacti are bursting with baby pads. I've posted photos of baby prickly pear pads before, but they're just so darn tender and green that I'm posting more this year.

Farewell, frozen rosemary behind the fire hydrant; you grew beyond our wildest expectations.

Spring haiku

Falling from the leaves, 

the gentle drip drop drip drop 

of canker worm poop.

Finishing the ATT

E and I finished walking the American Tobacco Trail yesterday with our friend Z. S dropped us off on Pittard Sears Road, then parked the car at the south end of the trail and went for a 54-mile bike ride. E, Z, and I walked 8.8 miles to the car.

This is the first time I've seen this stretch of the ATT, and I think it's the loveliest part, being quieter and far less developed than the miles through Durham. Dogwoods were abundant and in full bloom.

Dragonflies were also out in full force. I watched a giant dragonfly carrying a beetle carcass; it landed under a dogwood blossom, and I was able to get an impressively decent photo from about 20 feet away, thanks to the wonders of digital camera technology.

Also out in full force were the pollen pixies. We're now in the midst of pine-pollen season; the golden grains dusted everything, including spider webs.

While the boys paused on a bench for a snack, I took photos of tree trunks.

We had gotten a later-than-intended start and were running late for a birthday bash for friends later in the afternoon. After our leisurely start and our bench break, the boys looked at the time and significantly picked up the pace. Having long legs put them at a distinct speed advantage.

To amuse themselves, E and Z sang "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" all the way from 99 down to zero. Getting to zero was a first for both of them; to honor the occasion, they shifted from a breezy Allegro to a dramatic Maestoso tempo for the final ten bottles. Around bottle # 26, we passed through a tunnel under Highway 64.

A mile or two from the end of the trail, we came across a small group of bicyclers who had just moved a young snapping turtle off the trail.

About three hours after we started, we reached the end of the trail. Ta da!

Our ATT experience has me eager to find other routes for long-distance mom-son bonding walks, but I think local options are pretty limited. Suggestions are welcome!