February 12

Saturday would have been a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi. However, we were 90 miles north in Missaukee County near Lake City hiking with our friends, Jeff Reynolds and his dog Winnie where we planned to hike on his 80 acre hunting preserve. The afternoon weather was partly cloudy with a temperature of 21 degrees and a breeze out of the west. On our drive to the site, we were pleased to spot a Bald Eagle perched high up a tree. We arrive to notice a couple inches of fresh snow covering the 5 inches already on the ground. We left the cabin and followed the trail through a lovely stand of Balsam Fir. Just off the trail, we noticed a large, dead birch tree covered with Pileated Woodpecker holes. We got off the tail and headed into a cedar swamp where we followed several Coyote tracks. Coyotes are opportunistic and will eat almost anything available. Small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, rabbits and squirrels are preferred foods. However, insects, fruits, berries, birds, frogs, snakes, plants, and seeds round out their diet. In areas with high deer numbers, carrion is an important food source. Coyotes are most often seen during their breeding period, which occurs in Michigan from mid January into March. They are active day and night; however, peaks in activity occur at sunrise and sunset. They generally feed at night. Next, we moved along toward a clearing where we saw lots of dead Bracken Ferns on the ground. In the open field there were lots of deer tracks as well as places where they scraped away the snow to look for edible grass. We also found some coyote scat and the remains of a deer. We got back on the trail and followed it through a stand of Tamarack trees where we noticed their tiny brown half-inch cones. Tamarack or Larch trees grow mostly in the cold regions of Northern America. They are unusual in that they are deciduous, their soft, needle-like leaves, borne in dense clusters, drop in the fall, and new leaves do not appear until the following spring. The bark of this tree is good for medicinal purposes. The inner bark is used as a poultice in treating wounds, frost bites, boils and hemorrhoids. The outer bark is used together with another plant as a treatment for arthritis, cold and general body aches. Tamarack wood is described as tough and durable often chosen as a material for snow shoes, knees for wooden boats, posts and poles. Other uses include firewood, lumber for wood houses, boat paddles, kitchenwares like spatulas, and handcrafted objects. Next, we arrived back at our starting point and noticed some beautiful Blue Spruce trees. Finally, we got back in the car and headed for their house.

I stood beside a hill

Smooth with new-laid snow,
A single star looked out

From the cold evening glow.
There was no other creature

That saw what I could see

I stood and watched the evening star

As long as it watched me.

Sara Teasdale