A Walk at the Conservation Park

  I really couldn't talk myself into a roadwalk today. The sun was hot and pavement didn't appeal. I had to go to the grocery store anyway, so Cathy and I went to the relatively new Pere Marquette Conservation Park for a walk. It's not much farther of a drive.

If you are local and keeping track, you know that there are huge plans for this property which will make it a recreation mecca. Meanwhile, I think the first thing that's happening is a fishing access on the north side of the river. We were on the south side, and over here, not much has changed yet. The "trails" are old graveled "haul roads," from when this was Dow Chemical property.

Still, they are mostly OK to walk. There was a reasonable amount of shade. This particular location was inviting.

There are views of the south side of Pere Marquette Lake, and the clear air and sun made for beautiful water. The buildings across the way are Oxychem, which used to be Dow. The property for this park, 300 acres, was all purchased from them.

I don't get very excited by deer. They are everywhere. But this lady put on a nice pose, so hey...

There was just a little breeze, but it was enough for this sailboat to be moving along at a steady pace. This is again Pere Marquette Lake.

This is a feature that I enjoy. The bare space at the bottom of this hill is part of what was once the grade of the Mason and Oceana Railroad. It was built for lumber and passenger service, but it never connected with any of the major lines. It ran from Buttersville (the village on this side of Pere Marquette Lake, across from Ludington), through Riverton, Wiley, Crystal Valley, and Walkerville. It's farthest extent was a place long gone called variously, Maple, Maple Range, and Beaver. There were 35 miles of track at its longest. As the lumber era came to an end, so did the railroad. There is a possible plan to make the section of the grade through the park into a multi-use trail.

Now for today's botany. The two single trees in that first picture are Horsechestnuts, Aesculus hippocastanum. There are six leaflets in the palmate leaf. (the sixth one is at the top left, a bit more wilted than the others). Lots of fruits on the ground. There is a spiny nut pod, and then the smooth brown seed inside. I popped a couple out of their shells, and they are right off the tip of the lower right leaflet. You can easily tell Horsechestnut from Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra). B-U-C-K has 4 letters and 5 leaflets. H-O-R-S-E has 5 letters and 6 leaflets. There are usually 1 or 2 shiny brown nuts with the characteristic light spot in each pod.

When I got home from the walk and the store, I made a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. It just sounded good. And it was. Spent the rest of my time doing dumb stuff that needed to be done. I didn't get to sleep until 4 am- just kept working on a project and didn't want to stop. Consequently, there may be an early bedtime tonight.

Miles walked in 2024: 468.6

Pere Marquette Conservation Park, Ludington, MI. 2.8 miles

See Pere Marquette Conservation Park

Mini Tour de Ludington

I did a little walking tour in Ludington today before bell choir practice. This was partly for the exercise and partly to make sure I'm getting things right for the next mystery.

I started out at Copeyon Park on Pere Marquette Lake. The picture is a little blown out, but I had to shoot right at the sun, with it hidden behind the tree. The lake is a natural one, although the current outlet that flows past the lighthouse, is not where the lake originally emptied into Lake Michigan.

On the far shore is the Pere Marquette Memorial. This is supposedly the spot where explorer Jacques Marquette died in 1675.

You know I have to picture the carferries. This is an angle I haven't shown before, I'm pretty sure. From here, the Spartan is in the foreground, with the Badger behind. Good news on the Badger. They have the final permits to rebuild the part of the dock that failed this summer, and it's looking good for a full 2024 season. There have been cross-lake ships from Ludington to Wisconsin since the 1860s.

Do you remember this picture? Well, not this exact one. But I first photographed this scene in 2014. The trees are significantly larger now, and not as white. The first picture is better- better angle, better light. But it's become kind of an old friend.

Couldn't resist showing you the size of this maple leaf. Wowzer!

I edited, I puttered in the trailer but need to buy yet another length of screws (I can hardly believe there is a size of screw I don't yet own), I went to bell practice. And the words in Vacation from DMS are up to 7589. For any author friends, "No, I'm not doing NaNoWriMo. I just happened to get inspired on this book in November."

Walk from Copeyon Park to downtown Ludington and back, about 3 miles

See First Snow and History

Pere Marquette Conservation Park

  Today was the ribbon cutting for what will be an amazing recreational facility. Right now, the property has been purchased, and funding is being sought for the rest of it. 300 acres that used to be part of Dow Chemical have now been sold to the township.

The opening included a ribbon cutting and a lot of official people making short speeches. OK, there were free hot dogs too. There's not a lot to see yet, but the plans are really astounding. It will be a huge regional draw if they manage to accomplish even half of the plan. Quite a few people showed up for the ceremony and to study the 12 posters of the plans.

Remember I said that Cathy and I took a walk last Friday but I was waiting to tell you about it. We went to this property and walked a couple of the existing trails. Not much to see yet, and since we managed to hike in the downpour of the day last week, I didn't even get any pretty pictures.

I'm not going to put a lot more about today in my blog because Mason County Press hired me to cover the event, so most of what I have to say was sent to them just a short while ago.

But here's a panorama shot. I left it large so you can click. This has Pere Marquette Lake on the left and the bed of the former Mason and Oceana Railroad on the right. This is proposed to become a multi-use trail.

Just a pretty water pattern.

And I'm going to show you last night's sunset beause it was really nice.

In other news: I edited in the morning, and did this event in the afternoon and wrote up the article. Also did laundry. In between all that I've been working on the trailer. I was wondering why I was tired, but I think that explains it!

See When Trails are Too Mushy

When Trails are Too Mushy

  Cathy and I wanted to do a good walk today, but with our sudden spring-like temperatures the trails have turned to total mush. Rather than struggle and not be able to get very far, we chose a road walk in the county that isn't just squares, and has some nice things to see. It also has some decent topography to enhance the workout factor.

We began in some agricultural areas, mostly fruit farms. Orchards can provide some great pictures, but this is not one of them. Couldn't get a good perspective. You'll have to settle for a view that does at least show acres and acres of rows of fruit trees.

Here's the joke of the day. Carom boards are made in Ludington. Someone has found a use for old broken bases- as the backboards for their No Trespassing signs!

Eventually, we ended up on the back side of Pere Marquette Lake. So we were across the channel from the Ludington lighthouse. Not a great picture, but I like how the water and the sky are almost the same color. The lighthouse is the blockier tower toward the right. The building in the foreground is on the same side of the lake we were on, and the round tower is a channel marker.

Another interesting destination on that road is White Pine Village, a living history museum. There are 30 actual historic buildings that have been moved there, and during the season there is almost always some fun demonstration going on. This house is actually an administration building, but it made a nice picture, and is visible from the road. I haven't been there in a while- I really should go. It's a treasure of a destination, but when it's open, it's so overrun with tourists, I end up avoiding it.

Here's a winter view of the two carferries, head on. This side of the lake is the only place one can take a picture like this. The link below shows a similar shot taken in the fall.

And one more... this is definitely not a great picture, but these bird are so skittish I was just thankful to end up with a picture that has the whole bird in it. This is a pileated woodpecker. They are really large, over a foot from crest to end of tail.

How did we do? We walked 10.8 miles!

In other news: After that (and clean up and lunch) I had an appointment about some editing. Now I am home and crashed for the evening!

See Apres L'Autumne

Big and Blue

 
I had to get up a little earlier than I wanted today to go do a work assignment. I think that's going to result in an early bedtime.

Nevertheless, the day was all about BLUE- blue sky, blue water.

This is looking across Pere Marquette Lake (where the river widens before flowing into Lake Michigan. That's Ludington on the far shoreline, and the Spartan at dock (sister of the Badger). Amazing how a small city disappears in all that blue-ness.



The sky was clear and perfect. What a backdrop for the last of the fall color, like this maple.


And since I was out near Lake Michigan, were it breathes in and out over the edges of the sandy point of land that separates the two lakes, I sat and watched it come and go.

	See Twin Queens of the Lakes
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