November 19

On Wednesday, staying away from deer hunters, Remi & I hiked once again at the 90-acre, Mill Pond Park in Mt. Pleasant. The early morning weather was overcast with a temperature of 18 degrees, a bone-chilling wind out of the south and two inches of fresh snow on the ground. As we left the car, I spotted a large squirrel nest overhead while on the ground, my first tracks of the season, also a squirrel. I walked over to the pond and noticed it was almost frozen solid. Following the trail east, it was easy to pick out a Musclewood tree (American Hornbeam) because often their leaves turn brown and curl up before they fall late in the season. Also, I began to see several Buckthorn trees that were still loaded with their dark berries. The path continued along the edge of the Chippewa River where I saw a few dead Goldenrod plants topped with snow. The river continued east and then became noisy as it turned north and rush over some large rocks. Suddenly, a couple of Mallards landed on the river nearby. Next, I turned south and took a footbridge over the river where some Eurasian Bush Honeysuckle shrubs still had green leaves. In the distance, I could barely make out a male Cardinal perched in a Buckthorn bush. Also, I noticed a large, dense woodlot filled with mature Box Elder trees with their multiple trunks that grow in odd directions and fall down easily. Turning around, I retraced my steps close to the beginning before I briefly took a side path where I saw several spore stalks of Sensitive Fern sticking out of the snow. Finally, we made it back to the car to warm up and head for home.

Woods of November

Season of the gun

Whitetail of the wild

You’re on the run

Scent of humans

Flurries of snow

Whitetail of the wild

Time to lie low

Creature of nature

One of the best

Whitetail of the wild

No time to rest

D. DeGraaf