After over a week indoors in the throes of an ugly chest cold, it felt wonderful to finally get outside today and take a hike out at the Virginia Bluebell Plant Preserve on the Coldwater River. This location, a cooperative between Trout Unlimited and the Michigan Nature Association, is one of my favorite places. It’s got nothing to do with storm chasing or jazz saxophone, but I’m okay with that and you should be too. It can’t hurt to broaden out in this blog every now and then, and there’s nothing like a beautiful natural setting to refresh the soul.

The Virginia bluebell is rare in Michigan, but where it does grow, it tends to grow abundantly, and this preserve is a prime example. I’ll say no more, but will let the photos tell the story.

Sunlight plays on a clump of Virginia bluebells.

A bumblebee busies himself with a cluster of bluebell blossoms.

Virginia bluebells carpet an open woods at a Michigan Nature Association preserve in southeast Kent County.

The beautiful Coldwater River borders the eastern side of the preserve.