September 10

Saturday was a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi.  The early morning weather was mostly clear with a temperature of 53 degrees and no wind.  The morning sun warmed my back as I moved down the hill toward Mallard Marsh. I continued through Bobolink Meadow where I recalled earlier in the week spotting my first black and green-striped Monarch caterpillar munching on a Milkweed leaf. I also saw an early sign of autumn as many of the larger Milkweed pods were turning from green to purple. Entering North Woods and following the trail west, I noticed lots of Virginia Knotweed with their tiny white flowers. Continuing along the path, I observed several amber-colored Beech Drop plants sprouting from the forest floor. If I would dig down along the stem of these non-chlorophyll plants, I would find a connection directly to a Beech tree root. I exited North Woods and continued around Succession Field. Hiking along the west side, I noticed that most of the leaves of the Basswood trees were covered with a Sooty Mold. Sooty molds are fungi that grow on the sugary honeydew secreted by insects such as aphids and other insects that suck sap from their host plants. I entered South Woods and hiked past Swanson Swamp where I spotted a cluster of bright red berries of Jack-in-the-Pulpit. These berries have the consistency of a ripe tomato and are an attractive food source for birds and rodents. They are not edible by humans and contain calcium oxalate that can irritate the skin. Further along, I saw a large white bracket mushroom growing on the base of a tree. I measured it to be 12 inches in diameter. Then, I noticed some yellow Amanita mushrooms.  Although generally considered poisonous, they are consumed as a food in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America after parboiling. Amanita is known for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound Muscimol. It was used as an intoxicant by the peoples of Siberia and has a religious significance in these cultures. I exited South Woods and passed Artist Overlook. Continuing along the south trail, I heard and saw a pair of Killdeer flying high overhead. Approaching Frog Fen, I counted a dozen Canadian geese flying in formation from east to west over Grebe Pond. Next, I turned south and headed toward Brady Cemetery. I passed the cemetery and entered Native Grassland. The meadow, that once exploded with colorful flowers, was now quite drab. However, as I hiked along the east side of Grebe Pond, I was surprised to see an Evening Primrose with its beautiful, pale, yellow blossoms sticking up far off in the field. I got off the trail and hiked over to the plant to smell the sweet scent of its flowers which attract pollinating moths. Finally, I passed the Classroom Building and arrived at the van.  I headed for home with pleasant thoughts of another weekly commune with nature.

The month of September

it is just started

soon it will roll by

then follows

the autumn months

October and November

the dazzling colorful foliage

that touches the heart

when nature splashes

its most beauty

like bride in wedding night

Then there are trees

that shed their leaves

like shedding tears

saying farewell to

the summer months

this is the year life cycle

that revolves like a carousel

in an amusement park

we are going for a ride

in an eternal delight

Sherif Monem