The early morning air is hot and muggy with temperatures already in the low 80’s under partly sunny skies and a welcomed southerly breeze, as I find myself on 70-acres of St. Louis School property off Jackson Rd. Established years ago as an over-night camp (Camp Monroe) for disabled students from the GIRESD, it changed to a day camp before closing all together. Noticing a few abandoned buildings nearby, I begin my hike hearing a Field cricket on a groomed trail designated as part of a cross-country racecourse for the school district. Right away, I hear the melodious song of a Rose-breasted Grossbeak perched high in a tree above me.. However, I cannot get a good photo of this colorful bird (stock photo). Along the trail I come upon a large Staghorn Sumac shrub displaying the greenish-tan flower clusters of a male plant. While these flowers will shrivel up and disappear, flowers from a female plant will develop into bright red fruit heads by late summer (stock photo). Scanning the lush vegetation next to the trail, I spot a 2-inch Widow Skimmer Dragonfly. Early naturalists thought their contrasting white and black wing markings resembled the black-and-white mourning clothes worn by widows in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries, leading to the common name Widow Skimmer. Up ahead, I come upon a Black Walnut tree with its characteristic compound leaves and a single, 1-inch, immature nut. In early summer, it is common for some walnuts to stop developing and fall off due to a natural fruit thinning process. The tree "decides" which nuts it has enough energy to mature and sheds the extras. Turning back toward the car, I’m amazed to see a 12-inch diameter Giant Puffball Mushroom. While it takes about 2 weeks of growth to reach this size, it can expand suddenly overnight after a series of rainy days. Based on its color and texture, this puffball is quite edible especially upon slicing and sautéing it. Approaching the car, I look down in short grass and spot a few blossoms of Heal-All. For centuries this plant has been used to cure or aid the symptoms of almost every possible malady. Common folklore held that it was an herb sent by God to heal any ailment of man or animal. Driving toward home, I feel grateful for completing another nature hike. It reminds me that wonder doesn't fade with a new encounter. Each walk becomes another quiet lesson that the richest experiences aren't measured by how far from home I travel, but by how fully I notice the remarkable world that has been waiting beside the path all along.
Nature in rhythm
July days ahead
Summer sky blue
Raspberries red
Creatures are born
Consume and grow
Vultures fly high
Frogs lie low
Vernal ponds full
Up to the brim
Neath the surface
Tadpoles swim
D. DeGraaf
