There are no lines in nature, only areas of colour, one against another.” ― Edouard Manet

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Manet’s thought seemed borne out as I gazed at the red maple leaf buds against evergreens along the shore at Low Plain (in central New Hampshire)  in late April.

And at the moss and last year’s fall leaves alongside the trail under melted ice, shadows of branches giving the appearance of a frame:

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It was 70F that day, after a high of 48F the day before and a low of 31F overnight. So the melt was on. Luckily, I had on my wading boots.

Eastern red-spotted newts — the adults, shown here, are a sort of olive green with blackish-brown spots, but the juveniles, or efts, are bright orange-red with bluish-black spots — were mating or fighting or both in the water on the trail by the bridge shown above. It was a challenge not to step on them.

They can live 12-15 years! (If not stepped on.)

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Despite the feverish melt, there was still a little ice on the trail and in the wetlands:

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Willows and red elderberry were budding:

And a male mallard and song sparrow (and Canada geese, kingfishers, chickadees, and other waterfowl) were out and about, plus a colony of painted turtles on a log — 10 shown here but there were probably twice as many on the whole log:

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I was taken by these juxtaposed areas of colour:

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“What keeps my heart awake is colorful silence.” ― Claude Monet