A blue heron leaping into the air is reminiscent of an old cartoon where a dog bounds goofily in a field.

Youngsters wade and play in the creek at Ridley Creek State Park while a fisherman does his thing on a sunny Mother’s Day afternoon.

Horses graze in a field along Beaver Valley Road in Concord Township.

Chester Creek running through Newlin Grist Mill Park provides a quiet spot to enjoy nature on a sunny morning.

Spring colors bloom at the Brandywine Battlefield Park in Chadds Ford Township.

The giant sycamore near the Gilpin House at the Brandywine Battlefield Park is certified by the National Arborist Society and the International Society of Arboriculture to have been alive at the time the Constitution was signed in 1787. Conceivably, it could be a silent witness to troop movements during the Battle of Brandywine 10 years earlier.

A goose sits on her clutch while her mate keeps watch from the pond.

Sunshine, blue skies, and warm afternoon graze. It feels as if the region has had more sunshine during these first two weeks of spring than most of the past winter.

A steady mist falls onto the swamp along Route 1 in Chadds Ford Township Saturday.

It may have been chilly Sunday morning, but horses still enjoy their morning graze under blue skies.