Entries to Win Afghan

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Thursday, October 2, 2025

Playing in the Big Bed


We won't say that I have been doing any serious gardening in this space, but I have been playing and pulling weeds. Of course, there is still a ton of autumn olive to remove.
garden being weeded


The really bad news is that I found out last month that this isn't even on our property. The 20-acres between us and the cemetery changed hands again, and for the first time the lines were actually surveyed. I can only hope that the new owners care as little as the previous owners over the past 54 years.

If it turns out they do care, there's not a lot down there that couldn't be moved in a hurry, but I would lose the work of doing all the edgings and steps. I've shown you this before, but this is what it looked like around 1999. garden with steps

Friend Penny from bell choir was giving away some Asters and gave me a bucket full. They seem to have taken the transplant well. Of course the real test will be next year. She thinks they are Bushy Aster, but the leaves aren't right. I'll work on that. I suspect they may be Blue Wood Aster. I'll need to spend more time with the leaves and other details.
bushy aster


Another plant that used to come up on its own all over in that garden was wild Columbine. There are a few leaves, so I'm trying to be careful and not pull them up.
wild columbine


I'm not really trying to make it a native plant garden, but these are nice additions. I know there are a lot of daffodil- picture from this spring with many of them in bloom is in the link below. Lots of iris, which need more sun to be happy. I found, of cousre, more grape hyacinth- they are everywhere, but also some clumps of Snowdrops and a few clumps of Star of Bethlehem that have survivied.

When I was putting in the aster, I also uncovered some bulbs I don't recognize, so they will be a surprise. Anyone know? Even an internet search wasn't helpful. Seems like that elongated shape should be an aid to identification. I'll bet these are plain old orange ditch lilies. I didn't think there were any down there, but it's possible. They are too long for the lemon lily.

I also found some little puddles of tiny bulbs that I don't recognize. Put them back in the ground too. We shall see what they become.


Woke up slow this morning, but then I got into gear and worked on things.

See Rain, Not Quite Singing in the

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Fall Hike with Friends


I spotted a couple of hikers on the North Country Trail today, and then hiked with them a little way. On the right is Jane. She's got 1000 miles as an NCT Long Distance Hiker, and she just finished all of Michigan a couple of months ago.

On the left is Amy. Both of these ladies are from the Battle Creek area (Chief Noonday Chapter), but Amy had never hiked any of the NCT outside of their chapter miles. And today was her birthday! We are trying to give her a case of "blue blaze fever."
hikers


And how did we manage to get a picture that isn't a selfie? Just as we were posing, a backpacker, Korey, came along! He took the shot for us.


They started just a little south of our Chapter's section, so I got to see a piece I don't go to quite so often. I always like that.

Colors are starting. The woods isn't flaming yet, but I managed to catch some color.
autumn trees


Shots across more open areas of wetland always look good.
marsh with autumn trees


The red maples are starting to get serious.
red maple leaf


I have no idea what kind of mushroom this is, but it was interesting.
tan mushroom


I hiked in with them for about 2 miles and then turned around. It was only a tenth of a mile the other direction to Cedar Creek, which I also haven't seen for a while (like since Dec 2021 when I walked away from home to begin my long hike!), so I went there as well.
Cedar Creek NCT Michigan


The weather was perfect, the hiking was easy, new friends and long-time friends. Life is good.

Oh yeah, and I did the usual other stuff.

Miles hiked in 2025: 383.7
Miles hiked on the NCT in 2025: 226.6

16-Mile Rd in Newaygo County on NCT, 2.1 miles out and then back

See Traction Treads