Entries to Win Afghan

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Albert, Bruno, Cuthbert, Dexter, Ernest, Franklin

  Monica and I hiked together today. You know I love silly trail games and she taught me a new one. We took turns naming the toads we saw alphabetically. We saw 6 of them and arbitrarily decided they were all boys. I did A,C,E. Monica did B,D,F. This is Franklin. Can you see him? I think Albert was the largest. toad

We went from 96th St to Highbanks Lake and back on the North Country Trail. That's a really pretty stretch, and I wanted to see what the small wetlands looked like at this time of year. The answer is that there is water, but it's not as clear and extensive as in the spring. No surprise there. wetland

And, I learned a new plant- so this makes it a STELLAR day. This is Swamp Thistle, Cirsium muticum. This is a really attractive thistle, and it's not as prickly as many of the common species. The calyx is blue-tinged with an interesting pattern. Can't believe I did not know this one.
swamp thistle


We also caught Rattlesnake Weed in bloom, Hieracium venosum. It's just a kind of hawkweed, and its best feature is the maroon veins in the leaves. But I rarely catch one flowering, so now you have it. rattlesnake weed

Highbanks is always a pretty destination. Today was no exception. I usually prefer my water blue, but the silvery color today made the water really stand out from the trees. Highbanks Lake

Did we have a good time? We sure did. Ten miles. friends

North Country Trail miles for 2021 is at 370.

In other news: I worked a bit on the trailer. Monica helped me do one thing! Not much sleep last night- who knows why? Tomorrow- full steam ahead.

North Country Trail, Newaygo County, 96th St to Highbanks Lake and back, 10 miles
See Hiking with Denali

2 comments:

Ann said...

Fun game with the toads. I like that picture of the water through the trees.

Sharkbytes said...

Hi Ann- it WAS fun to have her just pop a game out of nowhere!