December 10

Last Tuesday, I drove 14 miles southwest of Alma to hike in Centennial Park, located in the village of Sumner. The early afternoon weather was mostly sunny with a temperature of 34 degrees and no wind. From the car parked off St. Charles Rd., I headed a short distance west to the edge of the swollen Pine River to observe the water flowing fast to the south under the bridge. From there, the river will curve around to the northeast and meander for approximately 8 miles before reaching the millpond in Alma. Turning north, I followed the riverbank and entered the walking trail where I followed my shadow through a corridor of leafless trees and shrubs. Below my feet, I noticed a few dead maple leaves on a bed of moss while overhead, the naked canopy revealed a sky of blue and white. Just ahead, I paused to scan the extensive river flats while also noticing a thin layer of ice on a nearby vernal pond. I continued on the trail as it curved east and then back to the south where I spotted some small brown fungi growing from a decaying log. While they looked like Galerina Mushrooms, I wasn’t sure. Since these kind of mushrooms are difficult to identify, mycologists refer to them as LBMs (little brown mushrooms). There are hundreds of species found everywhere, in all seasons and all habitats. Many LBMs are poisonous and some contain the deadly amatoxin. Continuing south, I came upon the remnants of a Ground Cherry vine with some of its Chinese lantern-like husks. Up ahead, the trail displayed some deer tracks while a White Oak tree still retained its leaves. As I was exiting the woods, I noticed the bright red fruit of High Bush Cranberry. Despite its name, this fruit is not cranberry. However it looks somewhat like a cranberry, tastes like a cranberry and ripens at the same time of year. Finally, I wandered back to the river for one last look before returning to the car and heading home.

December arrives

Escorting cold

Dormancy and death

Have now taken hold

Fur on the trail

Bones in the mud

A patch of snow

Drops of blood

Creatures confronted

Predator and prey

One lives, one dies

Mother Nature’s way

D. DeGraaf