Spring has definitely arrived here in Wilmington. The weather has been beautiful and color is bursting out all over. The pears, cherries, dogwoods are blooming around the neighborhood. The Carolina jasmine is out and the azaleas are near their peak. So, I believe it is time for a spring tour. I visit the University of North Carolina Wilmington fairly regularly, since I know a few people there and play racketball with Jeremy and Doc on campus. We also use the intramural fields occasionally for Frisbee, etc. I took the pictures below near the campus entrance and near Trask coliseum, where we play racketball.

I also visited nearby Hugh MacRae park, which is in full bloom. See pictures below.

Finally, I hiked in Halyburton park (No relation that I can see to the Halliburton that is well known in the oil business). This is a relatively new park created to preserve a natural area in the Wilmington city limits. They claim to have deer, red fox, possum, raccoon and alligator, as well as several varieties of owls, hawks, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, jays and buntings, although I saw only a few doves and mockingbirds. I realize more and more how little of God’s creatures you see, unless you spend a quiet night with them. I did see a lot of local vegetation such as various types of oaks, pines, cypress, cherries, bay, etc. I also did see a coatimundi, a south American raccoon. The girl in the picture was walking him on a leash, but he kept getting spooked by all the people, so he climbed any tree he could reach.

There you have it, the Wilmington Spring tour.