May 17

Wednesday, Remi and I traveled 20 miles northwest of Alma to hike in the 13-acre Sponseller Preserve, a new acquisition of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, located off Deerfield Rd. ,west of Wildwood in Isabella County. The early afternoon weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 82 degrees and a stiff south wind. Leaving the car, we headed due north a 100 feet and crossed a footbridge over Johnson Creek. This narrow stream continues due north about 2 miles before it empties into the Chippewa River at Meridian Park. With no obvious trail to follow, I wandered north through lush undergrowth sprinkled with thousands of dainty blue Forget-me-nots. Since the Germans are given credit for this flower’s name, it’s natural that there’s a tale of two lovers walking along the Danube River seeing the bright blue blossoms. The man retrieved the flowers for the woman, but was swept away by the river as he pleaded with her not to forget him. Whether the story is true or not, it’s certainly made the flower a lasting symbol of remembrance. Nearby, I stopped at a large patch of May apples and looked under several leaves before finding a blossom. Turning south, I came across colorful blossoms of Pheasant’s Eye Daffodils, Beardtongues and Lunaria. In addition, some fresh Pheasant back Fungi caught my eye. Circling around to the east, I came upon Johnson Creek again where I paused to look and listen while Remi cooled off with a quick dip. Meanwhile, on the far bank, I spotted a Green Frog basking in the sunlight. Turning back toward the car, I noticed a snag that showed frequent foraging by woodpeckers. Next, I paused to look up at the closing tree canopy being swayed by the strong southerly wind. Finally, we made it back to the car for a water break before heading home.

Dome of autumn

Yellow on red

Oaks and maples

Begin to shed

Bare branches

Backdrop of blue

Winter clouds

Showing through

Curtain closes

Springtime scene

Forest canopy
Gathering green

D. DeGraaf