Yesterday, after four days of sometimes torrential rainfall, the sun broke through the dark gray clouds and the temperatures began their ascent. After a spring rainfall is a wonderful time to go exploring nature. So that's exactly what we've been doing!

After a spring rainfall you can find lots of vernal pools. A vernal pool is a place where water gathers during the wet spring season, but dries up during hotter times in the summer. This vernal pool is the exact place we found toad eggs right about this time last year. So we went looking for those too, but didn't find any yet, it is a bit early. Toads and frogs prefer to lay their eggs in places such as vernal pools because of the fact that there are no fish to eat their eggs.

A vernal pool is also a great place to find animal signs and tracks. In the above photo you'll notice that the grass around the pool is depressed; this is the place that deer have been laying. Also if you take a closer look you'll find that raccoons find a vernal pool a pretty great place to be too. As is evidenced in the below photo.

Also, while we were out we stumbled upon a deer skull, yet another sign that animals have been around. My guess is that a coyote can be to blame for this one. We wondered a bit down the hill and found quite a few more bones.

Now, on to a much prettier sight! After a spring rain is also a grand time to find new wildflowers blooming; such as this gorgeous Blue Violet. Last year we gathered a few of these and pressed them for our nature notebooks.

We also found one of my absolute favorite wildflowers, the Blue Phlox. I knew it was just about time for it to be blooming.

Don't forget to look for the wee little baby spiders warming themselves in the sunshine on the woods floor. This wee little baby spider will grow up to be a giant Wolf Spider!

We also found lots of these growing under some trees on the woods floor. I've heard some people call them "fairy umbrellas" but I'd sure like to know what their real name is and what they are.

After we were done with our walk around our home, we ventured down the street to a park that has a pond and just walked around it a bit.

We watched the frogs jumping from the sides into the pond and noticed lots of minnows darting to and fro. And occassionally a fish popping it's head to the surface.

We also observed how the cattails are sending their seeds out.

And of course the kids had to have a little fun at the park's playground before we left!

This whole weekend is going to be gorgeous. I look forward to getting outside a lot more. I love spring!