Happy Day Acres Earth Day

2013 04 14 My brother Chuck and family put on an Earth Day Celebration at Happy Day Acres.  Trees were planted, fun was had, and there was much yummy food eaten.  

The temperature was 35 with heavy, wet, snow coming down, this was around noon on Sunday.  Great weather for an outdoor gathering to plant trees.

We are a pretty tough group, and the weather decreased the odds of a wildfire like we had here last year on Earth Day.

It wasn't long before the rain/snow let up and we eventually had some sun and blue sky.

 Trees were planted.  Some of the kids made markers to put next to the trees they planted so they can see how much it grows by next year.

 We went on a walk around the property.  I found a nice crop of Trailing Arbutus (not yet blooming) growing in a certain area, I marked it with a flag so it is easy to find again.  Also we found many kinds of moss and lichen.

We played games.  Chuck made a BiminiRing Toss Game, which was fun.  There is a hook attached to the Happy Day Acres board, and a metal washer on a line, you drop the washer and try to land it on the hook.  Seems fairly easy but I never saw anyone hook the washer.

I, for one, had a great time, it was nice to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air.  Thanks again Chuck and Betty.

On our way home we passed Goose Egg Lake, there is a small park here.  What a difference a few hours make in the weather here in Michigan!

April 2013 Hepatica Hill, Harbinger of Spring

April 08, 2013  It started as a dark, cloudy day, we decided to go to Hepatica Hill in Allegan County, about 40 miles south of where I live.  We discovered Hepatica Hill, a south facing hill along the Kalamazoo River, from a photographer /blogger, Mark Cassino.  My sister, Marie and I have several favorite places to look for wildflowers and we get pretty excited this time of year.

The thing that stands out for me, at Hepatica Hill, is that everything is cold, gray, and wet, with snow still in ditches and on some trails, but yet, there are these beautiful hepatica blooming.  All the browns and grays, then a beautiful wildflower just growing, fighting the odds, and drabness all around it!
Of course, it is great later on in the year, when there are many, different wildflowers all around but hepatica are some of the first and they are so soft and sweet.

Marie found this cool rock.

                                   At the bottom of Hepatica Hill

Kalamazoo River at Hepatica Hill

We made a very quick stop at our Happy Boots Corner in Allegan County.  I found some Marsh Marigolds struggling to bloom. 

Marsh Marigold buds

There was a steady rain while we were at Hepatica Hill, even with our rain gear we were getting wet so we hopped back in the warm car and checked out some bridges in Allegan County. 

We were driving through Casco Township and came upon Casco Township Nature Preserve.

We passed through a couple cemeteries.

  

  

We drove along the lake shore and stopped in at 121st Avenue road end, a beach along Lake Michigan and Plummerville Creek.               

 Lake Michigan at 121st Ave road end.

    Plummerville Creek flowing into Lake Michigan

But that wasn't the end of our day, we ended up, after still more rain, at the Herrick District Library in Holland, Michigan.  We looked at all the wildflower books, noting the fact that we either own them or have had them on loan from the library.  Then we looked through the Michigan section of the library. 

I found a small photo journal of Casco Township, the township we had just been driving through, and found it very interesting. 

At last it was time to go home, we did have a fun filled day!

Before Marie left to go to her house, I thought we should check my hepatica growing here in my woods, it isn't blooming yet.  Then we checked another area where I had transplanted a few wildflowers that we came across last year growing on the edge of a dirt road, right in harm's way.

There in this small patch was one tiny Habinger of Spring blooming!  I have never seen this plant here in our woods so it was a treat to find it blooming.  It doesn't look like much until you take a close look. 

                      My very own Harbinger of Spring   

 Erigenia bulbosa, also known as harbinger of spring or pepper and salt, is a perennial plant in the carrot family (Apiaceae). E. bulbosa is the only species in the genus Erigenia (Nutt.). This plant is known as harbinger of spring because it is one of the earliest blooming native wildflowers of rich forests in the mid-latitude United States.        

Last Day in Texas

This post is about our last day in Texas, on our February 2013 trip.  We have been to nature preserves, hiking in the mountains and canyons, viewing lava flows, and gypsum dunes, going on aerial tram ride, and more.  All thanks to our son Andrew's great planning.

We did save the best for last, going for a ride in Andrew's plane with him as the pilot. 

What a cute little plane.  The guys did some maintenance on it, then Andy pulled the plane out of its hangar, he went through the preflight list.  I hopped up into the plane, and after putting on the headset and seatbelt, Andy gave me some information. 

 It is important not to grab the yoke in front of me or push any pedals near my feet.  So we taxi out to the runway, and take off.  There was a bit of a cross wind so it was only slightly scary.  I had total confidence in the pilot, and in the plane.  But for some reason I was afraid.  I've been in small planes before, but this plane is very small especially after flying to Texas on a commercial flight. 

The view was great but I had that niggling in me to get back to the ground.  Andy asked if I wanted to take control of the plane. No thanks.   I was just feeling scared.  My biggest regret of the Texas trip is that I didn't fly more with Andy, and maybe even take  control of the plane.  Next time.

Andy with his plane.

In the afternoon we all took a trip to Big Spring, Texas - 40 miles NE of Midland, Texas.  We took a hike around the Big Spring State Park.  There are many cactus here and bunches of a four-petaled yellow flower blooming brightly everywhere!

There are also dramatic views off of the 200-foot bluff, with shelters built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  During the Great Depression, CCC Company 1857 transformed some 300 acres of rough country into a state park gem.

Looking out across Big Spring, Texas.  

We also took some time to check out Comanche Trail Park, a 400 acre park that features a 6,900-seat limestone amphitheater, an eighteen hole golf course, tennis courts, baseball fields, playgrounds, pavilions, and hike, bike and nature trails.

Amphitheater in Big Spring,Texas. 

 Unfortunately we had to head home, but next trip we will spend more time in Big Spring.
So that was the last day of our trip.  The next morning we flew to Houston, then Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

    Some very hard clouds!

On the flight to Houston we hit some of the worse turbulence I have ever experienced!  Seriously, I felt like I had a bit of whiplash from being tossed, first up then slammed down in the seat.  
But on our way to Texas a week earlier, our flight out of Grand Rapids was late.  They held the plane for just us in Houston.  We walked onto a plane packed full of people giving us the look.

This was a very fun trip!  I'm sure we will go again next year.