March 24

After taking a break to do nature hikes elsewhere, I resume my quest to follow the Bad River downstream to its confluence with the Shiawassee River near Saginaw. The early morning skies are clear with temperatures in the upper 30’s as I’m greeted by a Northern Cardinal while looking down from a high bank in the Lafayette Cemetery to the water of the Bad River flowing rapidly to the north. The pile of logs over the channel reminds me how the Chippewa Indians had great difficulty navigating this watercourse and so named it the “bad river”. After descending the steep bank to the river’s edge, I move along the flood plain where I notice some green, spiny rosettes of Bull Thistle. These are the first year growth of a two year cycle. Next year, they will produce an erect stem that will display lovely pink blossoms (stock photo). Nearby, I come upon a decaying log displaying a common shelf fungus called White Cheese Polypore. While some sources mention potential medicinal properties, it's not recommended for consumption. Near shore, I spot the inner bivalve shell of a Mussel in the shallow water. Just ahead, I notice the outer bivalve shell of a Mussel displaying its growth rings. These rings are formed annually, with one dark and one light band representing a year of growth. Older mussels may have worn or indistinct rings, making them hard to count. Growth ring formation can be influenced by the availability of food, water temperature and other environmental factors, leading to inconsistencies in ring spacing and clarity. Despite these challenges, growth rings remain a valuable tool for studying mussel populations. Also in the flood plain, I observe Haircap moss growing on bare rock. Because it's a non-vascular plant that doesn't require soil or a complex root system, this moss uses rhizoids to anchor itself and absorbs moisture and nutrients directly through its leaves from the air and water. Ascending the bank, I pause on the St. Charles Rd. bridge as the river water flows under me. From here, I catch a quick glimpse of a flying formation of singing Tundra Swans returning to their breeding grounds in the Arctic Coastal Plain of Canada. In winter they migrate to the West and East coasts of the United States, where they live in wetlands and salt marshes. Turning around and making my way back to the car, I look afar to see a deer walking past while I listen to a singing Song Sparrow.  Near the car, I pause one last time to hear the flowing water while being serenaded by birdsongs, including a Redwing Blackbird and a Mourning Dove.

Gone winter ice

Your current revealed

Flowing again

Through forest and field

Gone winter snow

Your banks revealed

Sprouts of green

Earth will yield

Gone winter chill

Birdsongs revealed

River of spring

Nature you wield

 

D. DeGraaf