Manistee - Day Two

June 28 2011 We were up a 6 a.m., no hurries, no worries.  Coffee and breakfast on the front porch.  We left the cabin around 9, heading for the Manistee River Trail.  We are going to start at the "waterfall" going north on South 1 Road then west on Forest Road 7120.

I had to brake along the road when I saw purple, right away I knew it was Viper's Bugloss.

From the gate we walked to the river then south, looking for some river flats.  There are many small footbridges along this trail. 

 We  identified Shinleaf (Pyrola Family).

On a very steep hillside facing the river we saw Showy Lady's Slipper.  Totally inaccessible.
Soon we got to the flats and I showed Marie the Indian Paintbrush that Mike and I had seen here in mid June.

Then I was right on the edge of the river when I found an orchid.  It was pale green and slender.  Marie used her wisdom and her Newcomb's Wildflower Guide and dubbed it a Tubercled Orchid!

A kingfisher chattered down the river, frogs were jumping, butterflies flitted about.

I think this is a Pearl Crescent, going by my recently acquired

 Butterflies of Michigan by Jaret C. Daniels. 

Here are a few other things we found on the river flats.

A rough looking Showy Lady's Slipper

                                     Black-eyed Susan

                             Webs with dew

            Harebell, getting ready to open.

                              Common St. Johnswort

Our old friend, Prunella vulgaris, commonly known as Selfheal or Heal-all.

What a cool place, so many things to see!

We needed to head for home, about a two hour drive,

back to the real world.