I am not made of hay, but I can be very sweet. I am the foundation of many a tasty treat!

Beside still waters I am found, with emerald curtains trailing down. Though rooted firm where I belong, I sway all day to nature’s song.

I am a roar without a mouth, A strike that leaves no mark. I follow a flash from north to south, And rumble through the dark. I shake the ground but have no hands, I speak, though I have no tongue.

We grow and multiply We settle along the rivers We love to bask on the ground From the first spring breaks in the clouds Right up to the onset of winter We consume all the Earth's water We rot the very spots we love best

I carry my home on my back everywhere I go, On land I am slow, but in water I flow. My shell tells my age, like rings on a tree, And I've roamed the earth since before history. What am I?