I've Got Tara!

It was a very good day to NOT hike all day. I picked up long-distance hiker Tara at Timber Creek. The rain that was supposed to be over during the night hung on all day. She was very glad to come off the trail and get dried out, cleaned up, and get some new supplies. We also looked at maps.

We've been talking trail stuff all day. It's such fun! We eat very similarly, so getting things for meals was really easy. We've also been comparing how we eat on the trail. She's working on hiking all the National Scenic Trails, and my next Ludington Daily News column will tell more about her.

It was WET. She had this black oak leaf stuck on the rain cover of her pack. Very artistic.

A few of the wildflowers are trying to put on spring faces, but they were crying today. Here is Wood Anemone.

Spring Beauty was also hunkered down waiting for a drop of sun. Maybe tomorrow.

I did get to walk out and meet her on the trail. Got in 2.5 miles

Miles walked in 2026: 148.9
NCT Hike 100 Challenge: 45.6

NCT Lake County, Michigan, Timber Creek TH south and back. 2.5 miles.

See TI Kidnapped Chris

More Yellow

I had a hard time getting into gear today, but finally managed to get off my butt and do some things to prep for Confidence Camp.

Meanwhile, enjoy more yellow!

First is another daffodil. I'm pretty sure this is 'Haworthia.' I used to have a ton of these, but only a few seem to be left.

I'm not sure I've showed you this before. It's a variegated absinthe, a gift quite a while ago. It can get too aggressive, but it looks nice right now. It looks much more yellow-green in real life. I'm not sure exactly which one- there are a couple of choices

Lots of the Cowslip Primrose are blooming in the front bed now. I really like these.

I know I've never put this on the blog. It's a shrub that was around our old house. I really don't like it because it spreads all over. But it's Golden Currant, Ribes aureum. At least it's native.

Shopping, bell choir and a short walk.

Miles walked in 2026: 146.4

Methodist Church trails: 1.7 miles.

See Festival in Yellow

Small Goodies

I spent most of the day working on Confidence Camp. Cathy came over and we divided and packaged a lot of the items that participants will receive and learn how to use. I spent most of the rest of my time refining "lesson plans."

Meanwhile, some more areas of the rock garden are looking nice. This area of color is great. The yellow is Moneywort, Lysemachia nummularia 'Goldilocks.' This has totally surprised me by looking better than ever since I've revived the rock garden. It really prefers something more moist. There are violets, and a Sempervivum Margaret gave me that stays quite red.

This is another of the miniature daffodils I bought a long time ago but has come back. This is 'Sweet Sue' with violets and some of the first of the moss phlox to open behind it.

This is a daffodil I split last year that had gotten all bunched up. The other patch didn't come up, but the ones I left in the rock garden did. They are really too tall, but I put them at the very bottom, so that works. These are a tarzetta daffodil, variety 'Erlicheer.' The leaves persist way too long, so I need to figure out what else I can also put there for later in the year.

I just have to show you the Sempervivum 'Gold Nugget' again. It's starting to change from red to gold!

And for the final act of the day, we will switch to the front flower bed. This is the sunburned Brunnera I bought at the end of the summer last year. It's the first of my Brunnera to bloom this spring! Variety is 'Variegata.' I'm really happy with this one. I really bought all of my Brunnera for the foliage, but have been delighted with the early spring forget-me-not-like flowers.

It still hasn't rained, but it's been plenty windy!

See A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Two Picnic Tables

Today's accomplishment was getting the two picnic tables I bought on sale last year for Confidence Camp assembled. Whew. My body gets a little more sore than it used to doing heavy jobs like this. But they are ready for stain and all the tools are put away.

That won't happen tomorrow because it's supposed to rain. Not in the morning, but they wouldn't really have time to dry. So, they are covered with my big green tarp which only has one hole in it! Probably can work on stain on Wednesday.

Sunny is uncovered. The critters pulled out the aluminum foil I had stuffed in the crack at the bottom of the door, but I guess they didn't like the peppermint repellant I put on a paper on the floor, because nothing is chewed.

I wish I could say the same for the three crocus I moved. Something dug them all up and ate them.

Here's the patch people will get for attending Confidence Camp.

And here is the bandana.

I still have a lot to accomplish before May 10 when camp begins, but I'm working on it! Finished one editing job today too.

See Confidence Camp

Earth Day Event in Ludington

For years, the AFFEW group (A Few Friends for the Environment of the World) has been hosting an Earth Day event in Ludington. Various groups with outdoor/environmental themes have booths, there are a few vendors, and there are environmental programs all day. I've manned a booth about the North Country Trail there quite a few times, but not recently. I see that I've never blogged about doing so, although it doesn't seem like THAT long ago since I attended.

Anyway, our Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the NCTA had a booth today which I staffed. Not too interesting without me or someone standing there, but this is proof of a presence. I talked to quite a lot of people and we had 5 that signed up to receive notices about hikes. Handed out a pile of maps.

I was delighted to discover that I was next to Jim McGrath. He's has built a well-known reptile and amphibian educational program in Michigan. In fact, our chapter had him come to a couple of National Trails Day events quite a few years ago.

His animals are always healthy, clean and alert. Look at this attentive bullfrog!

He says one reason his animals are so active and interesting is because he always feeds them at these events, and they have come to associate times when the air is full of the scent of humans with being fed, so they keep their eyes open. Literally.

And speaking of that...as well as giving the frogs worms, he fed the hognose snake at the end of the day. The kids sure paid attention as the snake ate a toad!

He also had a spotted turtle. This is cool. I've never seen one in the wild. They are a little south from me.

There were also crafts for kids, and that was busy all day.

The Petunia Parade (the group that plants and maintains all the petunias I've showed you in Ludington) had a booth, and these fun flowers to pose with.

This took all day, and then I got groceries and came home. And that's enough for one day!

See Memory of a Special Earth Day