Pine Island Drive Bridge in Michigan

Pine Island Drive Bridge in  Kent County, Michigan over the Rogue River is in the news.
From news source MLive-"'Ornate' Kent County bridge approved for Michigan historical marker may be last of its kind."
Link to MLive -
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/09/kent_county_bridge_approved_fo.html

 For more information on bridges visit
 http://www.historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=concrete/pineisland/#photosvideos

I took these pictures in October of 2009 of the Pine Island Drive Bridge.

Michigan in October = wildflowers?

On October 22, 2012  My sister Marie and I went for a 4 1/2 hour walk at Riverside Park in Ottawa County Michigan.  While on our walk we identified 27 blooming wildflowers!  That is pretty good for October in Michigan. 
We also saw two American Bald Eagles flying around and around over the Grand River. 

This is one of the eagles over the river...

Some of the wildflowers we saw blooming...

                             Common Dandelion

                                Wild Strawberry


                           Some type of fleabane

                             Common Chicory

                           Yellow Sweet Clover

                                  Bouncing Bet

We spotted one of the eagles landing in a tree across the river.  It was very hard to see it in that tree, about in the middle of this next picture.  I found a log to steady the camera on and zoomed in on the eagle...

 

So this is the zoomed in picture, which I thought turned out pretty good, since I had a hard time finding the bird in the tree way across that river.

 

 

We also came across this fungus on a tree with Poison Ivy growing right through it. 

I added the car key to show size, and it is a fairly large key.

 

 

 

This beautiful Common Buckeye butterfly was still hanging around.

 

 

As always it turned out to be a great day,

we do have fun. 

  

Michigan Fall Colors

2012 September 27,28,29,30

A trip to the cabin in Manistee County Michigan.  We walked the Manistee River Trail from Red Bridge to Cedar Creek and back again.  The Fall colors had a good start.  Many trees still had lots of green leaves which made a nice contrast with the reds, yellows, oranges.  It was beautiful.

We thought this was a soccer ball but turned out to be a puffball.

We stopped in at Link's Pond near the weir on the Little Manistee River.  This is a cool place.  And we saw a Harebell.

So the Fall colors are only going to get better, if you can, take a road trip and enjoy Michigan.