October 22

Saturday was a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi.  The early morning weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 32 degrees and a light wind out of the west. Before descending the hill, I noticed a heavy layer of frost covering the landscape. I hiked along the edge of Mallard Marsh and was surprised to still see a few bright yellow blossoms of Wild Lettuce. Walking through Bobolink Meadow, I roused 3 American Woodcocks that took off and flew rapidly toward the southwest. Looking north, I spotted a Cooper’s Hawk perched about 30 feet up a leafless tree in the neighbor’s field. At the entrance to North Woods, I turned south toward Willow Wallow where I observed a few pink blossoms of Red Clover. Red clover is a wild plant belonging to the legume family that is used for grazing cattle and other animals. It has also been used medicinally to treat a number of conditions. Traditionally, these have included cancer, whooping cough, respiratory problems, and skin inflammations, such as psoriasis and eczema. Red clover was thought to "purify" the blood by acting as a diuretic and expectorant, improving circulation, and helping cleanse the liver. Next, I crossed the footbridge, turned west and entered Succession Field. I continued around the perimeter of Succession Field where I noticed how most of the Goldenrod flowers had gone to seed and changed from yellow to fuzzy beige. I kept walking toward Artist Overlook, turned north and headed back to Willow Wallow where I was pleased to see that lots of Autumn Olive shrubs had been cut down as part of a recent attempt to control the spread of these invasive plants. I continued east along the edge of the pond, walking through a golden corridor of dead Cattails and Canary Grass. Climbing Reflection Hill, I paused and glanced down on a placid Grebe Pond. I headed south and descended the hill while slipping and sliding on the frost-covered trail. Heading toward Brady Cemetery, I was startled by a rooster Pheasant and 5 hens as they took off right near me. I entered Native Grassland that was mostly devoid of color with the exception of a few remaining blossoms of Aster and Black-eyed Susans poking through the undergrowth. Following the trail north along the edge of Grebe Pond, I was surprised to spot a half dozen perching Redwing Blackbirds. Hearing the shrilling song of the male birds reminded me of spring and summer. Since the resident blackbirds had left long ago, I suspected these birds were passing through on their southerly migration. As I approached the barn, a wading Great Blue Heron took off from the pond and flew west over the cattails. Finally, I passed the Classroom Building, got in the van and took off for home.

The sweet calm sunshine of October, now
   

Warms the low spot; upon its grassy mold


The purple oak-leaf falls; the birchen bough
   

drops its bright spoil like arrow-heads of gold.


William Cullen Bryant