On the Path -- June 29th, 2011

Another day of happy little surprises. As earlier flowers fade, new ones open. Particularly this year I'm noticing the progression of the flowers and other plants and this blog helps me to record it. Nature truly is something to behold. The older I get the more I appreciate it. The variety and the complexity of nature really is overwhelming.

With the trees now in full bloom, the path is overgrown in parts-- kind of a cozy feel to it.

The Poison Ivy is getting lost amongst all the other growth which makes it even more likely that someone will unknowingly wander into it.

The second Day Lily is open in the meadow.

There's more Chicory in the meadow this year than I've ever seen. It's a gorgeous shade of blue.

Field Bindweed... Thanks John.

Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil with some Bedstraw behind it. Bedstraw reminds me of Baby's Breath in our bouquets. Nature's bouquets are every bit as beautiful as ours.

Bird's Foot Trefoil  with Bedstraw...

Goatsbeard seed head with Bedstraw... :-)

A Daisy bouquet...

Queen Anne's Lace is starting to open. The various stages are fascinating. If you look carefully you can see the single purple floret in the center. It'll be much more obvious soon.

It looks like a tall Dandelion-- apparently it's Red-Seeded Dandelion... Thanks John.

More and more of the Milkweed is opening. The blooms look like popcorn balls at this stage.

What will tomorrow bring?

- fini -

On the Path -- June 28th, 2011

I keep thinking after each post that I probably won't post again for a few days-- but that just ain't happening. :-) So here we go again...

Jane joined me for my exercise walk again today and I snapped a few more.

We spotted these beauties 100 yards or so from where we start on the path. They're Musk Mallow, a very pretty invasive. Thanks John & Gerry.

Canada Thistle... They're tiny now-- less than an inch.

A terrible background but a gorgeous Day Lily (Thanks Jane & John). It's the first one that opened in the small meadow at the top of the path.

I do love this stuff, probably because of the memories of the prairies that it brings to mind. Call it Foxtail (as we did in Moose Jaw and I still do) or Bearded Grass (the proper name)... whatever you want to call it, it's beautiful.

Some tiny mushrooms in the grass in a park that's beside the path.They're about the size of your pinky fingernail.

Jane was waiting patiently under "her tree" as she calls it as I was shooting the mushrooms-- it's a perfectly shaped Sugar Maple in the park.

Until tomorrow? Who knows? Maybe.

- fini -

2nd Marsh -- June 27th, 2011

I dropped Jane off at work and went down to the marsh for a few minutes. I'm always hoping to see wildlife but got a bit of a shock when I saw a pair of eyes staring up at me from beside the boardwalk and then realized it was a cat--a beautiful one, but a cat. It just stared, didn't run, didn't come to me, it just lay there and stared up at me. You just don't see cats in marshes-- at least I don't.

More than a little unusual considering that the nearest houses are close to a mile away. I didn't know if I should try to befriend it or not but it looked a bit frightened, and sleepy-eyed too so I just took a couple shots and moved on.

It must be lost. I'll report it to the Humane Society.

Some of the Milkweed is starting to open.

The nice light on the greenery caught my eye.

They can make for a busy image but nature's "bouquets" are beautiful to see in person.

It sure is great having the marsh so close by.

The Friends of Second Marsh web site... 

http://secondmarsh.science.uoit.ca/

A direct link to a map of the paths/trails in the marsh...

http://secondmarsh.science.uoit.ca/Recreation_Map.html

A link to a page that has my past posts re the marsh, in one place rather than scattered throughout this blog...

http://rgbell.ca/2/

- fini -

Lake Ontario -- June 26th, 2011

We went down to our favourite Newcastle restaurant for brunch today. After brunch we drove down to Bond Head on Lake Ontario-- 5 minutes from the restaurant. Bond Head is Newcastle Harbour really.

After checking things out there we decided to drive down to Port Hope along Lakeshore Road to take a walk on Jane's favourite walking path that has a marsh on one side of the path and Lake Ontario on the other side.

This is at Bond Head.

 

Who's enjoying them-self more?

There was some kind of fishing derby on today judging by all the pro fishing boats we saw. 

This pretty one is Mossy Stone-crop (aka Wallpepper)-- a garden escapee. Thanks John.

Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil...

Viper's Bugloss (aka Blueweed)

On the path at Port Hope. The marsh is on the north side of the path.

Turn around and Lake Ontario is on the south side.

Every year we see a family of Mute Swans in the same spot in the marsh. The cygnets are getting big. Mother Mallard seems to like taking her clan for a swim close to the swans.

Our imaginations were working overtime here. Jane said something about bodies, I went with pirates. Most likely it's something to do with the local sewage plant that's nearby.

Neither of us remember seeing these anywhere before. They look like miniature water lilies but they're European Frog-Bit, an invasive. Thanks John.

This Bullfrog watched us for 10 minutes.

Mother Mallard and her kids.

- fini -

On the Path -- June 25th, 2011

Jane joined me on my walk today. We took the umbrella but we didn't need it.

The Black-eyed Susans are out. The small "bee" is a Bee-mimic Fly. This is a family of several 100 species of fly which mimic bees in one way or another. They only have 2 wings and they do not sting. They are also very important pollinators. Thanks John.

Some of the Walnut trees have lots of walnuts on them. This one had several bunches like this.

A Multi-flora Rose. They sure have beautiful blossoms.

A pinkish Bladder Campion...

There's a beautiful little meadow at the top of the path. It gets more colorful every year.

Something caught Jane's eye.

- fini -