Tuesday,
Remi and I traveled 6 miles west of Alma to hike on friends’ property east of the village of Riverdale. The early morning weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 72 degrees and a stiff wind out of the southwest. We left the car and followed a
path north where I noticed some signs of the season as
Wild Raspberry leaves were changing color and a gaggle of Canada
Geese were foraging leftovers in a recently harvested soybean field. Meanwhile, the morning
sun made a brief appearance before being shrouded by clouds. Next, I veered west and hiked into a mature forest where a stand of
Sassafras trees stood out with their bright yellow leaves. Also, I came upon a Red Oak tree whose
leaves had turned rusty brown. After turning around, I began following a path east along the edge of a wooded pond where I spotted lots of dying Cottonwood
leaves floating near the shore. Scanning the surrounding
wetlands, I enjoyed listening to a chorus of Redwing Blackbirds that most likely stopped here on their migration south. Following the trail north, I spotted a Milkweed
Bug resting on a Milkweed seedpod and could barely make out a
grasshopper sitting on a Queen Anne’s lace blossom. Nearby, I noticed lush patches of young
Wild Carrot plants (another name for Queen Anne’s Lace). So I picked a few leaves to smell the fresh “carrot” aroma. Glancing again at the
wetlands, I noticed the cattails in front of me were swaying with the gusty wind. Continuing around the wetlands, the bright red stems and seeds of
Pokeweed as well as the cup-shaped seedpods of
Velvet Weed caught my eye. Finally, I turned around, retraced my steps back to the
car and headed home.
Summer leaves
Captured the sun
Green and lush
Each and everyone
Bright yellow and reds
Dingy beige and grays
Cover dying foliage
In these autumn days
No matter the hue
No matter the shade
Nature has no favorites
For her colors displayed
D. DeGraaf
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