July 9

Last Wednesday, I drove 17 miles north of Alma to hike in the 25-acre Williams- Blackburn Preserve, another property owned by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy. The early morning weather was sunny, hazy with a temperature of 75 degrees and no wind. Leaving the car parked in the Bentgrass Ct. cul-de-sac, I headed south and then east on an easement next to fenced-in private land where lots of wildflowers were in bloom including: Oxeye Daisies, Field Yellow Clover and Black eyed Susan’s. Next, I turned south again and entered the wooded preserve where I looked east down a steep bank at the Chippewa River. After passing an old Red Pine plantation, I continued south down a steep bank onto a flat oxbow peninsula formed by the meandering river where a Robin greeted me from the dense canopy.On the ground, I noticed lots of wild Ginger and a few clumps of Gray’s Sedge. Reaching the river’s edge, I paused to observe the gentle current while listening to a duet sung by a Tufted Titmouse and Wood Pewee. Back on the trail, I continued to explore the peninsula where I spotted a tiny Single-dotted Wave Moth resting on a Cinnamon Fern leaf as well as a Crane fly perched on a blade of grass. Barely visible in the blanket of green vegetation that covered the ground was a striking dime-size mushroom called a Scarlet Elf Cup. Approaching the west side of the peninsula, I noticed a massive oak tree had fallen over the river channel. Working my way north, I climbed up the steep bank and followed the trail west where I spotted a Little Wood Satyr Butterfly perched on a leaf as well as an immature Nursery Web Spider resting on another leaf nearby. Continuing west, I came upon a spot of froth on a cattail leaf created by a Spittlebug. Turning around, I retraced my steps east and then north toward the trailhead where I spotted an Elephant Ear plant whose leaves were approximately 18 inches long. Nearby, I observed a significant accumulation of fresh sawdust at the base of an oak trunk created by a colony of Carpenter Ants. Finally, I returned to the car, turned on the AC and headed to Home Depot for some shopping.

Welcomed sight

Pleasant sound

Forging the earth

Carving the ground

Channel is full 

Current is swift

Burgeoning banks

Nature’s gift

Flowing water

Worthy of praise

Chippewa River

Admire her ways

D. DeGraaf