Kayaking, biking, hiking, and wildflowers in Ottawa County Michigan

Kayaking on Stearns Bayou May 14 2021

We often walk at Stearns Creek Park, an Ottawa County park in Robinson Township.   In the picture below you can see one of the beaver houses along this area.  The land behind the beaver house is part of Stearns Creek Park.

We put the kayaks in at the Odawa/Battle boat launch, see start on the map.  We paddled until we were starting to get stuck on posts/trees, something just under the water.  It was time to head back anyway.  It was a beautiful calm evening.  I’m glad we went.

May 17,  I was lucky to be able to ride bikes with my sister, Sugar.  I started from North Cedar Drive at the M 231 trailhead.  I pedaled north over the bridge and Grand River, Spoonville Trail, then met her at the new trailhead off 120th Ave just south of Leonard Road.

Grand River from M 231 bridge.

      M 231 bike path on bridge also called Spoonville Trail.

     New bike trail going around Terra Verde Golf Course

We rode on this new section and it was beautiful.  We counted 5 bridges along here.

We continued over I 96 into Nunica.

I 96 at Nunica Exit

For now the paved bike trail ends near the Nunica post office, it will continue east.  And from Nunica the paved trail goes west into Spring Lake.   Sugar and I have biked that part too, it is called North Bank Trail.

That same evening as the bike ride, Mike and I walked at Crockery Creek Natural Area. We kayaked this Creek a few weeks ago.

Flowering Dogwood 

The Wild Geranium were going wild!

A beautiful Herb Robert.

Crockery Creek Natural Area - Ottawa County Michigan 

I made this post almost completely on my iPad and all the photos are from my phone.  Ugh technology makes my head spin!  But I did it.

Thanks for stopping by. 

More Spring Wildflowers

 Here are some pictures of spring from the last few weeks.

           Large Flowered Trillium at Aman Park

                            Miterwort in my woods

     Bloodroot in my woods

     A nearby swampy area I enjoyed for a few hours.  

     A tree flower ready to open.

We visited Gales Pond County Park and Genevieve Casey Nature Sanctuary in Oceana County Michigan.

    Leatherleaf

 

We also went to Clear Springs Nature Preserve and Henderson Lake Nature Center.

      Trailing Arbutus

I visited our son, daughter-in-law and family in Texas.  I left April 29th and came home May 4th, things had really changed in those few days.  So much green!

     It was a bumpy ride to Texas but well worth it to play and play with those sweet grandkids! 

When I came home Mike had flowers, and a steak dinner for me.  And a walk at Riverside park in Ottawa County.

      Redbud at Riverside Park!

A perfect Wild Geranium

   Wild Blue Phlox!

                        In our woods I'm just starting to see Squawroot!

I'm sure I missed some flowers and adventures.  Hopefully I can post again soon.  Thanks for stopping by.

There are bugs in the next photo so stop here if you don't want to see bugs.  I thought these mites were very interesting.  

Aman Park in Ottawa County Michigan - April 16 2021

    Aman Park looking down to the creek from the parking area.

Spring Wildflowers!  My sister Marie and I had an adventure at Aman Park on April 16 2021.  It started around 9:40am, it was cold, 38 degrees, and cloudy.  We spent five hours meandering along Sand Creek, we sat a few times, pretty much identified a certain buttercup, I took pictures and Marie took notes.

By the time we got back to the car, it  was sunny with a blue sky and temps up to 60 degrees.  I would have guessed we were out there 2 hours but I was wearing a watch and it said 5 hours and 10 minutes.  We had walked two miles.  Wow!   

     The south bridge over Sand Creek

      Sand Creek from the south bridge

This is the buttercup Marie identified, using Newcomb's Wildflower Guide and Peterson's Field Guide.

I think she settled on Early Buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis).  Maybe, actually I don't remember  now... only one day later. 

Trout Lily was closed up tight.  

Bloodroot was done blooming.  We saw only a few hepatica blooming.

We started seeing a few patches of blue sky.  Some flowers will only open if it is sunny or at least bright.  Some don't seem to mind about the brightness, like the buttercups.

There were hundreds of Purple Cress blooming with their heads down, a very pretty little plant.

Many places the ground was covered with green plants.  Most of this green is Wild Ginger.

   This is the flower of Wild Ginger, most Wild Ginger plants were still in bud.

This is Dutchman's Breeches just starting to flower, later we saw more and they were fully blooming.

   Dutchman's Breeches
 

There are many Paw Paw trees at this park and they were in bud.  The flowers will have six petals and be a maroon color when they bloom.

We saw Blue Cohosh flowering.

There was one blue berry-like fruit left from last year on a dry stem of a Blue Cohosh.

   A mighty sycamore tree white against the blue sky.

   Spring Beauty 

 Spring Beauty started to react to the warmth and sunlight!  Some of the Spring Beauty were almost white and right next to them were  these very pink ones.

    Trout Lily (sleeping)

    Trout Lily lifting their heads

Virginia Bluebells were just barely blooming

I wasn't sure the trillium would be blooming yet, they usually bloom more around the end of April or early May.  We had seen a few along the way but not actually blooming.  Then we saw them!

   Large flowered Trillium

I would say we have several more weeks to see these blooming.  We are having more cold weather for another week or so but as long as they don't hard freeze they should be okay.  I really think they just started blooming recently.  

It was a perfect spring day.  I am so glad we got to spend the day outside.  I hope you enjoyed the day too.