October 18

Early Saturday morning, Remi & I hiked at the Florence Maxwell Audubon Woods Preserve, a 40-acre, natural area located 7 miles west of Mt. Pleasant off from Wing and Gilmore Rds. Exiting the car, I was greeted by a dense cloud cover, a fine mist, a temperature of 41 degrees and a brisk north wind. I followed a trail north, descending a slope through a mature hardwood forest. While many of the surrounding Beech trees retained their leaves, the colorful leaf litter at my feet indicated that many of the nearby trees of Red Oak, Sugar Maple and Big Tooth Aspen were dropping their leaves. Examining the leaves more closely, I noticed a variety of color patterns as Chlorophyll disappeared revealing other pigments. Continuing down grade, I spotted an Aspen log with a fresh growth of shelf fungi. Approaching the Chippewa River, the trail leveled off on a narrow flood plain where I saw several large logs covered with lush, green moss. A closer look revealed it was Delicate Fern Moss. Scattered about were patches of Maiden Hair ferns loosing their color. On the riverbank, I spotted a rarely seen form of Brown Jelly Fungi. This form often has the shape of a human ear, so it is called by common names such as Jelly Ear, Tree Ear, or Wood Ear. Its shape and color also is similar to that of a large prune. When dry, it is a thin brownish-black growth not easily seen until it becomes saturated with water after rains and “blossoms”. Next, I paused near an overhanging White Cedar to watch and listen to the fast flowing river heading east toward Mt. Pleasant. Turning around, I retraced my steps south up the slope where the leaf litter occasionally revealed bright yellow Sassafras and red Quaking Aspen. Overhead, the strong wind rustled through a less-dense canopy. Finally, we got back to the car and headed south for home.

Leaves of fall or flowers of spring

Bird’s feather or butterfly’s wing

Skin of a snake or hide of a deer

Snow that’s fresh or sky that’s clear

Grass in a field or dirt on the ground

Seeds that fly or fruit that’s round

Lichens on trunks or needles of pine

Dark clouds or bright sunshine

A favorite color is hard to decide

Nature displays each with pride.

D. DeGraaf