September 22

Thursday, while Remi stayed home, I traveled 22 miles north to hike in Mt. Pleasant’s newest park, an 80-acre woodland on the corner of Summerton and Valley, called Indian Pines. The mid-morning weather was mostly cloudy with a temperature of 66 degrees and no wind. From the car, I followed a newly made trail south though a dense woodland into a clearing where patches of Asters were in full bloom. Turning west back into the woodland, I spotted a large Sycamore tree with its characteristic exfoliating bark on the trunk and large maple-like leaves. Soon the trail turned south again and led into a grove of mature White pine trees where I paused to look at their lower trunks, projecting lots of dead branches. Nearby, I noticed the trunk of an Aspen tree had been recently visited by a Pileated Woodpecker while on the ground, the edible but tasteless fruit of Partridgeberry mixed in with some Haircap moss. At 10:21 am, as if on cue, the clouds broke up so I could face the morning sun as it shown through the trees and acknowledge it’s crossing of the celestial equator to begin the fall season. Continuing south, I arrived at the edge of the Chippewa River and paused to observe the scenic riparian landscape. Next, I began to make my way back to the car when I spotted a few more signs of autumn: red leaves of a Maple tree, a Virginia creeper vine, red drupes of Staghorn sumac and dead brown fronds of Bracken fern. On the ground, I came upon an edible Berkeley’s Polypore Mushroom and some non-edible fruit of White Baneberry. Finally, I returned to the car and headed back to Alma.

From heights of summer

When you rule the day

To depths of winter

You’re now halfway

Your annual journey

In the earthly sky

Predictable path

On which we rely

Sun of the heavens

Celestial fireball

Glad you arrived

Welcome to fall

D. DeGraaf