Conservation Trail - Peanut Line and Stella T. Rex

 We started on the really urban part of this hike today. Paved rail-trail.

Our host, Joyce, hiked with us.

You can tell for sure that we are getting more urban. About 5 planes were coming in for landings while we hiked.

We got out early so we could be done hiking before it got really hot. In a few places there was delightful shade. We actually managed to find benches in the shade for our two breaks. It was all pretty easy, really, especially with someone new to talk with.

This rail trail was called the "Peanut Line." It was originally a 32-mile line between Canandaigua and Niagara Falls. But when that was bought in 1854 by the New York Central, the vice president called it "a mere peanut of a line." The nickname stuck. Interestingly enough, this track was wide guage, with the rails 6 feet apart. When NYC bought it, they had to change the track to standard guage. At great expense. The last section of this line was decommisioned in 1976, and by 1996 portions were being converted to trail.

After hiking, we went out for pizza.

However, in the midst of our lunch, we were attacked by Stella T. Rex! She chased Marie right away from the table.

She wanted our pizza!

I tried to rescue it.

But I really had to fight her for it!

But in the end, we made up. She let us eat the pizza.

What a day! Hiking, pizza for lunch and sweet corn for dinner. (Actually a new plant too, but I have to nail down which species before I share.)

Miles hiked so far in 2024: 300.3. Finger Lakes Trail miles hiked in 2024: 33.0

Conservation Trail, Western NY. Clarence Center Rd. to Shimerville Rd. 7.4 miles

See Murder Creek Re-re-re-re-visited See Dinosaurs Didn't Read

Pere Marquette River Flats

 
I was out and about doing errands this afternoon, and I stopped to take some pictures at the Pere Marquette River flats. This is the local name of the area where the river empties into Pere Marquette Lake. It's really, duh..., flat.



The river splits into two segments slightly upstream from here and meanders through this monoculture cattail marsh. This picture is on the south side of the south fork at the boat launch site. It was a nice day and the water sure looked blue. I just liked the broken reflection in the ripples.



Looking up, more blue, but split by a fast-moving plane.



Then I drove to the north side of the north fork. There's an observation platform where you can see the extent of the marsh. From there you can hardly see any open water. You can see something else, though. Here's the horizon line. Does it look a little fuzzy or maybe twinkly?



That is because you can see at least 34 of the 54 wind turbines in the county from that location. I managed to count 34, and it was hazy.




In other news:
I worked till 1:30, then did errands including spending a pile of money. More on that another day. Came home and did a whole list of odds and ends. Revised a short story yet again and sent it off to a contest. I would do more of that, but it costs money to enter most of them. Only 1st place gets a cash prize. I wouldn't mind being that person, but I suspect it's unlikely. Not that I think my writing isn't good enough; my philosophies just don't seem to align with what judges are looking for. No writing except on the short story. And I can't write now, because I have cookies to bake before going to bed. Better get busy!

	See another picture of the flats
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