After more than a year of near isolation, this week I was finally able to travel to Ann Arbor to visit my Aunt. We used to get together regularly, to attend concerts and theater, to walk in gardens or around her neighborhood. But since February of 2020 we’ve only connected on the phone.

But we’re both fully vacinated and when the CDC lifted some restrictions we both felt comfortable meeting for a walk through the woods.

She said she’s been walking at a metropark and that the dogwood was gorgeous this year. I hadn’t noticed dogwood in my woods yet so I was excited to see it for myself.

It was a Monday, when most people were working, so we had the woods to ourselves. The sun was shining, and it was warm enough to take off the sweatshirt early in our walk.

We had such a lovely time, chatting and bringing each other up to date on things we’d been doing during the pandemic year.

The woods glowed for us, with trillium….

…and wild geranium….

…and even several jack in the pulpit plants!

But it was the dogwood that stole the show. It was everywhere toward the end of our walk. I loved the shapes…

I loved the color.

I loved the optimism that dogwood provides, proof summer is on the way.

Everything in the woods that day made me smile, but what made me smile the most was finally spending time with my Aunt. That’s priceless.