Looking over

Yesterday after picking up my nephew, we headed to the Overlook Trail in Cascade Valley. Gregory was resistant to the idea at first, but he quickly warmed up to it once we arrived at the park. There was a long discussion on the things my son does not like about summer. Bugs and the heat. He did decide that summer was good because you get to see a bigger variety of animals and butterflies. He even made the observation that it was not officially summer yet.

Instead of sticking to the easy 1/2 mile trail, we opted to hike down to the river. Oh, the steps! We went down the steps and then back up the steps to get back to the Overlook. There was a bee buzzing around so we didn't enjoy that view very long. We met a nice older couple and hiked the rest of the way back with them.

It was the first time in a long time that I hiked without taking my camera. This made the hike go faster since I wasn't stopping every few feet to take a picture. I'm looking forward to more hiking this summer!

Busy, busy day

Today started with a hike on the Towpath Trail. We hiked a total distance of 2 1/2 miles, though with such a flat trail, it didn't wear anyone out too much. The highlight for me had to be seeing the great blue heron.



After a quick lunch, it was off to knitting. I'm working on my crochet top. I have discovered the front is not turning out the same size as the back did. On the plus side, the front actually looks like it will be my size. I might end up having to redo the back, but I've gotten a pretty good hold on the butterfly pattern now.

There was some live music by Gretchen Witt. I actually got to hear a couple songs before I had to leave. I ended up buying a CD. Not that I have the money to spend on one, but one of the songs was very catchy and I'm glad to say, it is on the CD. It also gave me something to listen to on the way home instead of flipping through the radio stations constantly. I've gotten really bad with that. I'm an advertiser's worst nightmare because I never pay attention to commercials. Even the funny and catchy ones I usually don't remember what is being advertised.

My son went to a friend's house tonight. I had pizza with them before heading out to the bar to see some of my friends. And then I came home to relax....

Woodcocks and Owls

This is a picture of a woodcock. My son and I went out to Silver Creek Metro Park for the Big Bird Night program. We were able to see some woodcocks up and close, although not quite as close as the stuffed one in the picture. They flew close enough to easily identify. Definitely a good night to view the courtship flight even if the cloudy weather cut short the amount of time they were flying about at dusk.

Gregory's wet shoes prevented us from continuing on with the group to listen for owls, but since there might have been a barred owl calling in the distance as we watched the woodcocks, the group likely had some success.

Big Bird Night

The place: Silver Creek Metro Park
The time: A sunny Sunday afternoon
The event: A hike guided by a naturalist
The topic: Plants Are Good For You

This first picture is goldenrod.

This is not to be confused with ragweed.
Jewelweed is useful to counteract the itching of poison ivy or the burning of stinging nettles. It is also called touch-me-not because the seeds will 'jump' from the plant when touched.

Those trees that bare their branches first are ash trees. Ash is the wood used to make baseball bats.

And the mystery plant that my friends and I were wondering about is pokeweed. The poke berries are not edible for humans. The birds love the poke berries.

Wildflower Hike

I've been meaning to blog this for a while, but it has taken me a bit to actually get the pictures done up. I went on a wildflower hike and wanted to post some of the pictures with the names of the flowers. These are common names, so you might know them by some other name. I was hoping this would help me remember some of the wildflowers.

Snakes....

Saturday, I went to the Nature Realm for a program about snakes. There was a slide presentation about the different kinds of snakes that are found in the area. I had no idea there were so many different kinds. It was fascinating. Then they brought out a couple of snakes for people to touch. This was no big deal for me as my ex owned quite a few snakes in the time we were together including a rather large boa that made my grandma nervous every time she thought about it. Most all the kids there seemed to love touching the snakes. My son kept getting a bit confused and said he liked the poisonous snakes. I quickly corrected that statement for him.

Now, you might be wondering what the Tom S. Cooperrider Kent Bog State Nature Preserve has to do with any of this. I was reminded of a hike my family took there last year. If you've never been there, I highly recommend going. It was a nice, short hike and there was plenty to see if you are a nature lover. One of the things we spotted was a group of snakes hanging out in a tree. I was lucky enough to snap some pictures.

Snakes are very wonderful and beneficial animals. Even if you are afraid of them, just remember they eat things like rodents and insects that you might not want around. The best thing to do is let the snake go about its business.

I Thought I Had More Time

My young son goes on hikes with me all the time. He has even taken to talking to the Naturalists who lead the hikes. There is one Naturalist in particular he really likes talking to and she is always so nice to him. So the last time he saw her, he told her "I love you." He was so excited when she said "I love you too." He looked at me and said "At least she loves me back."

Originally written September 28, 2006.