October Forgotten

October wasn't really forgotten, just busy.  There are no rules with a blog like mine.  I would like to do a post for every adventure, even a short post, but there are always other more fun things to do!  In an effort to "catch up" (I'm not really behind - remember no rules), I am going to put several outings together in this post, mostly pictures.

2013 10 14 Marie and I took a trip to Grand River Park, Ottawa County, Michigan.  Remember this is mid October, I thought this year the color of the leaves were a bit subdued, more yellows and tans than red.  Still the trees were beautiful.

Staghorn Sumac

 Grand River

There was some red, like this maple.

Grand River Park, Ottawa County, Michigan

Jeweled web

The next week October 21st, we went to Kent County, Michigan to Roselle Park.  We were here a few years ago but didn't explore, this time we walked the whole park.

We started with visiting the silos, one silo you can walk up inside to the top.  You have a nice view of the park and you can just barely see the Grand River.

Roselle Park
 
Roselle Park - Ada Township, Michigan



More of Roselle Park

After Roselle Park we went to Ada Township Park where there is an arboretum. 

Here is a glimpse of Ada Township Park.

 A neat little observation dock...


Ada Township Park really has so much to offer, the trees with identification signs, ponds, a water fountain, nature trails, ball fields, tennis courts, benches, picnic tables and more!  Since this was October 21st we didn't expect to see many wildflowers, but what a surprise we had! 
We were wandering the nature trails and came to a small weedy field, the soil was fairly damp, and I found a Fringed Gentian!  Then another, and another! 

We have found Fringed Gentian in about 4 locations around Michigan so this was exciting to have another place to find this beautiful wildflower growing, and still blooming late in October!



I have asked the question before, why don't I find Fringed Gentian and Bottle Gentian growing together?  They both like damp soil, I guess we do usually find the Fringed Gentian in wetter areas than the Bottle Gentian, but still why not in the same damp place?

Just about the time I asked myself that question and just after I had found several Fringed Gentian...I found a Bottle Gentian only 10 feet away! That was so exciting!

The plants were a bit rough but they were definitely blooming.  I will visit Ada Township Park again.

October 28th, Marie and I made a trip to Barry County to check out a few of our favorite places.  The end of October is quite late in the year for wildflowers in Michigan, but the weather had been mostly mild so we did find flowers still blooming.

 The morning sky, a very pretty start to the day and sunshine!

One of "our" very special places in Barry County...

 Land of the Larch, the beautiful golden-yellow needles of the Larch trees as they get ready to drop their needles.

We found Fringed Gentian here.  Being the very end of the blooming season, they were a bit sad looking.

Kalm's Lobelia was still blooming nicely!

Biennial Gaura (Gaura biennis) Evening Primrose family was still blooming, along with asters, Queen Anne's Lace, Bouncing Bet, golden rod, and a few more flowers.

Toward the end of the month, Mike and I visited the cabin up north in Manistee County, Michigan to celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary.  Of course we hiked the Manistee River Trail, one of the best hiking trails in Michigan. 

View of the Manistee River from the Manistee River Trail

 Slagle Creek bridge along the Manistee River Trail.

We stopped at the overlook at Hodenpyl Pond, unfortunately the whole weekend was cloudy with some rain.  The colors of the leaves were still fairly bright even without the sun. 
We also visited my sister and brother-in-law (Sugar and Rick) in nearby Copemish, Michigan where they happen to be camping.  Also in Copemish, we walked the First Creek Nature Trail.  Nice little trail.

 Boardwalk and leaves at First Creek Nature Trail.

Mike and I continue to visit Riverside Park in Ottawa County each week.  Before the snow fell we took a few bike rides, one was a twenty mile trip on the bike trail from Ravenna to Marne. 

AND we have added a 2 1/2 mile stroll around our neighborhood every evening!  Yes, even in the snow and when it is only 15 degrees outside.

 Riverside Park in Ottawa County Michigan

One week we saw a pair of eagles in a tree across the Grand River, look close - see the dark spot about in the middle of the picture?  I didn't get the best close-up shots since I only had Mike's shoulder for a tripod.  (I do own a tripod just didn't have it with).  I still think it is cool to see  Bald Eagles right here along the Grand River!

These were the best close-ups I got of the eagles.





So that was a bit of October, better late than never?  Maybe next time the whole month of November!  

101 Fringed Gentian

2011 September 25  An extra adventure this week,  Marie had the idea to go to the Allegan Antiques Market (150 Allegan County Fair Dr, Allegan, MI 49010, hours - last Sunday of every month, April through September) so off we go to Allegan.

It was raining and gray but we just had to stop off in Hamilton at

the George Schutmaat Park on the Rabbit River.  There is a carry-down launching area here (canoes/kayaks), and a great wooden railroad trestle bridge, and waterfalls.  Check out the post on Plants Amaze Me 2010 09 29 for the last visit to this park.

After the park we drove south to Allegan, paid $4.00 each admission fee for the antiques market.  We parked in a field along the Kalamazoo River, then walked past tents and tables of stuff, many vendors had tarps over their goods since it was still raining.  We wandered to the indoor area and shuffled along with people, elbow to elbow, booth after booth.  This is a huge market, tons of different things.  We were looking for books mostly, we both like books.  The only thing we bought was one children's book,  Plants Round The Year for $2.50.  I guess antiques aren't my thing but they are definitely popular since so many people were here on this very wet day.


For me the best part of this place is when we walked near the river.  My camera was in the car so no photos but this is what we found.  The Kalamazoo River, Fringe-tip Closed Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii), Cardinal Flower, Turtlehead, Forget-me-not, and Great Blue Lobelia.

It was 11:25 a.m., we were free for the day, now where to go? 

The fen in Barry County, of course.  It wasn't raining anymore.  And we saw something that surprised me, 101 (or more) flowering Fringed Gentian! 

The first time I saw Fringed Gentian was a few weeks ago at Sarett Nature Center, at Sarett we saw just one blooming.  Here we were seeing clumps of six to a dozen!  Wow!

The Grass-of-Parnassus still had blossoms but they were looking rough.  Oh, and the Brook Lobelia was everywhere!  Very pretty. 

             Brook Lobelia (Kalm's Lobelia, Lobelia kalmii )

Ironweed, Nodding Ladies' Tresses, Shrubby Cinquefoil, Brown-eyed Susan, Forget-me-not, Swamp Lousewort,  Heal All, Joe-Pye Weed, all still blooming. 

We soaked in as much of the fen as we could, knowing this will probably be our last time here for the year. 

Orchids, Gentians, and more from September in Michigan

We made a few trips to to Barry County Michigan in September to see wildflowers.  It started stormy which isn't good because many flowers including Fringed Gentians won't  open on a cloudy day.  This was the day we could go and we didn't really get rained on (except on the way in the car, then it was pouring) so it turned out okay.

The poor little fen was ravaged with the rainwater. 

Most of the wildflowers survived but were a bit waterlogged.

 Nodding Ladies' Tresses orchid

Along this trail are Spotted Touch-me-nots, also called Jewelweed. 

These are the plants with fun pods that burst open when you touch them.  If you do  pop one open, take the seed and peel off a bit of its skin.  The seed should be Robin egg blue. 

 Touch-Me-Not pod and seeds

  

Now for one of the very special plants that we came to see, the Fringed Gentian. 

 The Fringed Gentian was tightly furled.

 We found some slightly open...

Later in the day, at a nearby lake, we found Fringed Gentian just open after the sky brighten a bit.

 And finally found one fully open.

A peek inside a Fringed Gentian.
We also saw several types of asters...

And a huge Bull Frog!

An alien, actually a Chinese Praying Mantis

 We still saw dragonflies too.  This will all be changing next month as the weather gets cooler.

Grass of Parnassus was still blooming ...

Kalm's Lobelia still in bloom.

 Some sort of tiny bladderwort blooming.

Coming home the clouds started to build again.