Places less traveled ...

Below, Charlie stands in a wide expanse of Wild Ramps aka Leeks in the forest.

The location of this place won't be shared at all. I wouldn't want JohnQPublic coming in and digging them to sell. 

These plants take 5 to 7 years to mature from seed so they are slow growing. I have some in my forest and I generally just leave them alone. Their beautiful green provides me with joy. I may dig up one or two for an addition to a meal, but rarely any more than that.

They do actually flower and have seeds. In the fall animals walk through the area knocking the spindles of seeds which spreads the plants.

The hillsides were covered in them! In a few weeks the plants will disappear under the forest brush and they will be hidden from prying eyes.

I took a back trail along the river. I came upon some Canada Geese and their new little family. 

These geese were neat to watch ... the river was swift here and I was sure hoping all turned out okay for them in the end.

22 seconds of cuteness!

I assume they made it safely to wherever they were headed.

Below, my fearless leader. Since he has hiked with me since he was 10 weeks old, he knows the trails I take as well as I do. He bounds forward and turns to wait. At a junction he sometimes makes a choice and sometimes I follow his choice.

I finally did get a decent shot at a Red Wind Blackbird. There were several of them hanging out by the pond where I'd met the other photographer. I backtracked on the less muddy trails to the parking area.

I got home and the boys were having a good time chatting and solving all the world problems. I must give it to Jason, he can talk about anything to anyone and he does have a lot of experience and knowledge.

I'll leave you with a couple of shots that are a bit artsy. I have a Lensbaby lens and it has taken a lot of practice to work with this 'art' lens, but I am absolutely loving the challenge.

These were taken after my 'day' off when I went out to check the pasture and enjoy some more sunshine.

PS...we survived the storm, it went past us to the north.

Day off

Each week I try to take a day 'off' for myself. I generally love to go hiking and it doesn't matter what the weather is, I just go. Last Friday was to be our last warm day of October, so Charlie and I headed off to KVR even though the sky looked like a bit dreary.

We chose to walk the Old 131 Trail. It had rained for a few days and the other trails would be muddy. There is still a lot to see if one looks for it.

We were not in a hurry nor were we hiking hard. It was one of those times I just wanted to stroll along and look around.

I put Charlie's hi-vis jacket on. He lets me know that he doesn't really like it that much, but because he is a good little fella, he wears it.

We wear Hi Vis clothing during pheasant hunting season on the Reserve. We saw one hunter and his dog leaving when we parked. 

Even with most of the leaves down on the ground, it was beautiful. The oaks and the underbrush clung to their leaves despite the high winds we'd had. 

I've been on those bluffs with the pines in the photo below. It is humbling to sit on the bluff and watch the river go by 80 feet below.

Everything was beautiful. I had brought my Full Spectrum Infrared camera along. I hadn't been using it lately. For the normal photos, I used a Hot Filter. Basically it allows the camera see in what we perceive as normal light.

It was fun to change the light spectrum and see what the landscape looked like.

This is a photograph taken in the 720nm light spectrum. Boy, things sure look gloomy!

This is the same pond taken from the end of the dock taken in IRChrome. It turns foliage reddish and the sky and water become brilliant blue.

IR also brings out the definition of clouds.

Here is a comparison between normal light that we see and IRChrome.

IR Chrome

Charlie and I enjoyed the damp overcast day and took our time. He sniffed things, and I walked slowly enjoying all the sights and smells of the fall woodlands.

Yesterday, on Halloween we had snow off and on for most of the day. The winds on the ridge howled like crazy and at times you couldn't see very far.

I didn't go out in it! I stayed indoors and did boring things.

Today will be cold but there is a warm up through the weekend. 

He said...

"Why don't you take a day off?"

My husband was sitting in front of the TV while I was looking out the window at the mules I'd just got back in from feeding.
Charlie was buried in blankets on the couch.

"What a good idea!" I answered. "I'm going to the Ice Caves, do you mind?"

I got that look that sort of said he DID mind. Then I asked if he wished to come along. He gave me another look.
I then asked if he wanted me to stay home and watch him watch TV?

He shrugged and replied, "You are going to go anyway."

That was sort of a snub I guess. So I thought about it for a bit. I didn't want to make him feel bad. But he was able to get up and move around if his brain would let him, but I think his brain won't at this time. I ask him to go places with me and have lunch and he decides he'd rather sit at home. Socialization is very important for him. Yet he avoids it like the plague.

"Yes, you are right. I am going anyway because I cannot sit around all day." I am honest with him and he knows I hike or walk every single day when not shoveling or doing chores.

So I packed my backpack with my usual gear and headed out.

I'm so glad I did.

I enjoyed a beautiful hike exploring the Ice Formations near Wiester Creek in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.
Saturday the Reserve had a paid guided tour  and the folks that had walked made a nicely packed trail which made the hike much easier.

View from above the first 'ice caves'.

Inside the 'caves'.

The footing was a bit tricky, but I'd planned ahead with my YakTraks so it wasn't too bad.

The second ice formations. Inside and outside.

It was eerie listening to the water drip from the rocks through the ice formations.

I continued on towards a good view of Wiester Creek and the tiny bluff where more ice formed.

I noted that the guided tour ended there and circled back, but I knew about the old equine trail that went up and over those ice formations to another one that is usually not seen by anyone.

My hike ended at the Orange Ice.

Charlie and I had come to this same spot on the 4th of January and it had changed!

I headed home after talking with a group of people in the parking area that were headed out. They'd asked if the hike was worth it.

"Oh yes."

And it was.

Three hours to myself was very helpful. I felt refreshed.

All was quiet when I got home.
Rich was taking his usual nap.


He complained of not feeling well after supper and went to bed.
I worked on the gnarly tree and the Fairy House project until I felt ready to go to bed.

Let's see what Monday will bring us.

Gone Fishing

We took off around noon after a snack and after I let some mules into the 'new' forest pasture.

It has been a few weeks since I promised Rich that we would go fishing. One project after another has kept me hopping since the start of May.

So we packed up our things and headed out to the river.
We didn't get even a nibble.

But the time was worth it.
This little fellow kept swimming near us and poking his head up to keep an eye on us.
I think he/she was a small snapping turtle.