November 10

Thursday, Remi stayed home while I drove 17 miles west of Alma to hike a scenic section of the Meijer Heartland Trail between Edmore and Cedar Lake. The early morning weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 46 degrees and a slight breeze from the west. Leaving the car parked alongside Deja Rd, I hiked east on the paved path where a familiar sign of the season caught my eye; white feathery plumes from the seeds of Old Man’s Beard. Continuing east, I walked over a thick layer of fallen oak leaves. Once in awhile the asphalt path provided a nice contrast for identifying individual leaves, including this Pin Oak. A little further ahead, I spotted several proximate Tamarack trees whose needles had turned brown and were beginning to blanket the path. Also called Larch, this tree is one of a few deciduous conifers found in North America. Nearby, I paused to observe a narrow creek flowing from west to east. According to the map, this un-named stream flows into Wolf Creek and then continues east to the Pine River. While most of the shrubs I saw were green or leafless, some displayed a few red leaves including: Japanese Barberry and Maple-leaf Viburnum. After about ¾ mile, I turned around into the teeth of a strengthening west wind and began retracing my steps when I noticed a large (2’x3’) Pudding Stone just off the trail. The name of this conglomerate rock is derived from its resemblance to old fashion Christmas pudding. Continuing west, I came upon a patch of Maidenhair ferns whose fronds were losing their color as well as a leafless Sumac shrub with its deep red “staghorn” fruiting bodies. Near the end of the hike, I paused to observe a gust of wind trying hard to dislodge and disperse milkweed seeds. Finally, I got back to the car and headed east for home.

Pregnant stem in chill of spring

Birth of green, shade you bring

Facing the sun in summer skies

Supplying food, the tree relies

Autumn canopy, colors astound

Floats down, adorns the ground

Red to brown with veins of gray

Shriveling edges, signs of decay

Forest time was much too brief

Life and death of a Maple leaf

D. DeGraaf