Family Walk at Rycenga Park- May 6 2018

Our first Family Walk this year was May 6 at Rycenga Park in Spring Lake Township.
It was a fun two hours of exploring.

 

   Trailing Arbutus,  Blooming!

      Goldthread,  Blooming!

 

                   Marsh Marigold

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Marie for getting us together, and thanks to all who were able to come!

Orchids are Blooming in Ottawa County

We have been seeing Pink Lady's Slipper, a wild orchid, blooming in Muskegon and Ottawa County.  Especially good timing since my "orchid growing" sister, Mary Jo, is visiting us this week!

2015 January Walks and Adventures

Happy New Year, tomorrow is March 1st - 2015!  It has been winter here in Michigan for a long time, cold and snowy.  Our computer is in a very cold room of the house so I don't do much blogging this time of year but here are a few adventures from January.
Marie and I had to wait until the middle of January to get together because of the weather and road conditions. First outing of the year Rycenga Park located in both Spring Lake Township and Fruitport Township along Hemlock Road. We walked at Coast Guard Park that same day.

January 23rd we went all the way to Hudsonville Nature Center in Hudsonville Michigan.  

 That same day we stopped at Hager Park, an Ottawa County Park.

We tried to visit a few new parks but they were snowed shut or closed for the winter.
The end of January we walked at Crockery Creek Natural Area in Ottawa County.

 No sunshine but we came to a piece of farm equipment that we hadn't noticed before.  I'm not sure what it was used for.

So that was January, no wildflowers.  And this is what it usually looked like when I would back the car out of the garage.  

Into February things didn't change much, except it got colder.  Several mornings the temperature was well below zero (Fahrenheit).  But mid February held a warm added adventure?!  
But first my sister Marie and I got out early in the month to Hoffmaster State Park.

 We walked the north end of the park first.  That's Lake Michigan in the picture below, a whole bunch of white and gray.  Still fun to see and no crowds!

 We walked the very southern end of the park and saw this Pileated woodpecker far off in a tree.  We had a nice walk, it's always good to get outside if you can. 

 In the next post, which won't be out until March I'll fill you in on the rest of February and the added adventure.  And it will include a few blooming wildflowers!   
 

A few places around Michigan

May 2012 Just a mixed bag of photos from May in Michigan.

Rycenga Recreation Area, located in both Spring Lake Township and Fruitport Township at 16401 Hemlock Road, is a good place to find Pink Lady-slipper, orchid.

Creek in Rycenga Recreation Area

 At Riverside Park (Ottawa County) we found Virginia Waterleaf.

Trail at  Riverside Park.

   Wild Geranium,

                          and Yellow Iris

A toad trying to hide.

A few shots from the Truth Cam here in the woods (Grand Haven Michigan).  First a woodchuck posing for the camera, he's a regular.

 A deer wondering what's going on.

Marie and I went to Allegan County Michigan on May 14, first to 133rd Avenue.

 Railroad bridge over 133rd Avenue.


Along that same road we found this giant Green Dragon! 
The plant was  ~ 30 inches tall.

    Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium) Arum Family

Also along 133rd Avenue,

someone was walking on my jacket!

                 Horsetail

                    A beautiful Wild Columbine.

Daisy Fleabane with bug. 

We made a stop at Happy Boots corner, M-89 and M-40 in Allegan County.

 Tulip Tree leaf

Some sort of caterpillar?

Then on to Allegan Forest,

                             Wild  Lupine
and more purple, Bird's-foot Violet

We came to where
American Columbo (Frasera caroliniensis) Gentian family, grows. 

Its green and yellow with purple dots flower will show in June.  These plants are big - growing to 6 feet tall.

We saw Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens)  Borage family. 
Now there are other puccoons, Hairy or Plains, but it is puccoon.

To end this mixed up post here is a road in Allegan Forest.

There are many more fun trips in May, more wildflowers and fun adventures!