Grasses and Bushes

Bottle Brush Grass 

Hard to see, but it is the spikey grass
in the center of the photo.

I don't know...grass....

There were several possibilities.

Taken along a state bike trail in a marshy area.
It could be Johnson Grass that hasn't opened yet.

👇

 

Johnson Grass

[taken alongside a creek bottom]

👇

Wild Parsnip...
don't mess with this stuff...

I did use a machete to cut a lot of
this down where I walk along
our creek bed on a cold wet rainy
day.

Nanny Berries?

I noticed them last fall but 
didn't think to try and ID this bush.

[found on our road]

Red Elderberry
found on West Ridge Trail
at the Kickapoo Valley
Reserve

Rye

I had a hard time with this one, it wanted to look like Wild Oat, but then I recalled that my neighbor told me he planted Rye and some Oats along with other seeds I didn't know.

It seems the spiders liked it just fine though!

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Grass Ballet:

In the cool morning breeze,

the grasses sway
their movement like a dance.

The beauty of grasses are invisible
unless one stops to watch
them perform their silent ballet.

Breath deep, 

and let the dancers

amaze you.

--Val

Something Curious

In all my years on this planet, I've never really given a second thought to something like:

Grass.

I mean, grass is something that is walked on, stepped on, mowed, or waded through in the summer if you walk through a wild meadow.

I went out looking for something interesting in the morning light and found this.

It was grass that was at least 4 feet tall on the other side of the fence in the neighbor's meadow. At one time the neighbor let us use this meadow for extra pasture. We mowed it and maintained it. It has been left alone now for 7 years. 

I was surprised at how beautiful this grass appeared in my lens while I was searching for spider webs with dew drops on them.

So I took some photos of it. When it came to saving the file, I had no idea what to call the grass. So I started a search. I kept getting frustrated because I couldn't find good information regarding grasses anywhere.

So I ordered a book. Field Guide to Wisconsin Grasses.

I didn't know there were so many kinds of grasses! There are over 11 thousand species of grasses in the world.
I never thought of grass as very important.

In fact after looking at this book, I am beginning to understand that I don't know much about grass, period.

I never knew the difference between grass and sedges.

So I'm starting to muddle my way through Agrostology. I'm more or less just curious. I'll walk around and clip some tall 'grasses' or photograph them just for fun.

Grasses can be beautiful once you start looking at them without just thinking about the lawn.

I collected this variety just by walking up my driveway to the mailbox.

I have figured out what one of the grasses may be:

Rye Grass.

Here is a hint. My neighbor said he spread a mixture of Rye and something else alongside his driveway last year after we had work done on it.

I need to figure out how to use the book and become familiar with the terms it uses, but this looks to be a good learning project. 

The real test will be getting good photographs of grass in the 'field'. I'm always up to learning new things and photography challenges.

I wonder where it will lead me?

[Oh, that first photo? It just might be Orchard Grass. But I won't say it for sure. I have so much to learn!]

Grasses

This week I finally got out to pick some weeds and try to get some really artistic grass photos.

Yeah. What about grasses? They have interesting textures in November and December. 

These were parts of nature that I'd never looked at before. I mean come on...grass? What is interesting about grass?

Years ago, my supervisor at the Power Plant and I would walk along the perimeter fence and I'd point out wild flowers. He'd point out different grasses.

I'd nod and look at the delicate grasses that he'd name and then I'd point out a wildflower.

I wish I'd paid more attention to his knowledge of grasses.

The varieties are endless: bluestem grasses, switch grass, wild rye, indian grass, and dropseed grasses. 

I don't know bupkis about grasses. Nada. Nothing.

But I was enchanted by the grasses I found alongside the cropland in the neighbor's land.

I mean, it is just grass right? Weeds? 

Fall grasses fading
glowing gold in 
the morning sun
waiting for the 
snows...

Once the winter snows flatten the grasses, they will drop their seeds and burst forth again in the spring. I guess I never thought about grasses that way. It was just grass. But like everything else in the forest that I admire, it seeks to rejuvenate just as other plants do.

The older I get, the more I realize I don't know

much.

Abstract designs by 
~Grasses

Hunting the First Wildflower

 I am that strange person that delights busting through brush and briars to get to certain places in the spring to find that first wildflower.

It isn't a pretty wildflower and it doesn't even smell nice. It is the Skunk Cabbage.

Interesting enough, the Skunk Cabbage can push up through frozen ground and the bulb can create heat up to 70 degrees F to melt snow from around it.

Symplocarpus foetidus

While definitely not the prettiest wildflower, I find it one of the most interesting. It can create its own heat [thermogenic]. It smells bad because it attracts pollinators that like rotting meat.

Most animals avoid eating the plants as they emerge as the leaves create a burning sensation in their mouths.

The plants themselves like wet forests and stream banks. I find these near the Big Spring in PeeWee's Valley. 

The trek there is not an easy one any more. Years ago the brother that lived on the land had cattle that kept the land well grazed. 13 years ago the cattle left the land and the land has gone wild. Charlie and I explore the valleys in the late fall through late spring. In midsummer, the land is choked with tall Parsnip, brambles, and other plants. 

By June the grasses and other plants around the stream will be nearly 4 feet tall.

But for now, we will still enjoy wandering along the creek looking for cool things.

Antler shed and Iron Concretion.

Anytime it is cold but windy and sunny, I can walk in the valley and enjoy the weather without dealing with the cold winds. I took off my insulated flannel and hung it on a tree branch while walking east along the stream. I picked it up when I headed back home.

Charlie was a mud puppy. I had to rinse him off.

I'm so glad he is so easy going. When I got him out of the tub, I just laid him on his side and he let me towel him off. 

The marsh marigolds shouldn't be far behind as I saw them just emerging in the Big Spring. I'll go back towards the end of next week to see if I can find any blossoms.

I'm pretty lucky to have this land near us. There are easier trails to be found at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve or one of our many County Parks. Duck Egg has an abundance of wildflowers in the lower trail that burst with Ephemeral flowers each spring.

I can't wait.

To find more Spring Wildflowers.

I got cold!

I totally misjudged the temperatures last night! 

When I left home it was 60 degrees. I was warm and toasty. When I arrived at the Reserve, it was 50. I'd only brought a light sweatshirt and a windbreaker. 

Note to self. Next time, add some jackets to a bag and leave it in the back of the Subaru. I thought I was getting good at figuring the weather out. Obviously, I forgot it was October.

I did get there just before sundown and enjoyed watching the sky and listening to Red Wing Blackbirds as they settled into the branches around me on their migration route. I didn't get any photos of them, but I could identify them by their song and the songs of Robins too.

Just as the sun dropped another flock of Canada Geese went overhead to the east. I think I was enjoying the sounds and songs of the birds more than anything else. 

To stay warm, I hiked around the pond trails and finally settled on a spot to watch the moon come up. I had 20 minutes to wait for moonrise and at least another 10 minutes before it would appear over the bluff to the east.

As the light faded, I watched some beavers -- or muskrats -- swimming in the east side pond. I think it would have been beavers because when they swam closer to where I was standing, they alarmed by slapping their tails against the water.

Oh, the sounds of nature when you can be right in it!

When I got to Bridge 18 I stopped to glance at the moon on the river. It was so beautiful. It seemed to glow orange.

I wanted to stay longer but my hands were freezing.

And as I put away my camera I heard a Hoot Owl calling out. I smiled, I love the sound of those owls.

Then I heard a blood curdling screech. I actually stopped a moment because it did actually sound like a scream.

It raised the hair on the back of my neck until I recognized the call of a Barn Owl. Yes, they do screech and it sounds pretty awful at first.

Another terrifying night sound is a fox screaming. But I haven't heard that in a long time. I did hear the coyotes calling out to each other when I reached the car.

It seems that all the creatures were enjoying the beautiful moonlight with me.

Enough about my night time wanderings.

Looks like the weather will change for the cooler and perhaps I'll be smarter about what I wear!

The Subaru said it was 39 degrees when I left for home. 

Comparisons trees & brush

 Bittersweet May 1st in blossom

Bittersweet August 20th

Bittersweet September 20th

Bittersweet October 22nd

This was one plant I was pretty sure of. I was able to photograph it from spring to fall.

Properly dried Bittersweet is often sought after by the old timers as a Fall and Thanksgiving decoration in vases or on wreaths. Who can blame them? They are so bright and cheerful.

Here is the mystery bush that turned out to be a Hazelnut.

These are being sought after also as a alternative crop. Hazelnut coffee? The wildlife and humans both adore the nut. See? I will have to pay attention next year!

Hazelnut bush September 9th

Hazelnut bush September 24th

Hazelnut bush October 9th

Hazelnut bush October 22nd

Then there is the Dogwood. I didn't even know we had dogwood around until after I'd visited my son and he'd shown me some of his beautiful varieties in his yard. I recall looking at the blossoms in the early spring along side our road.

Dogwood Blossoms May 1st

August 20th 

October 22

Oak Tree May 1st

October 22

Another oak variety with rounded edges on the leaves.
White oak.

I think that is about it for today. I'm actually haveing some fun with trying my best to learn more about tree and how to ID them. This has evaded me most of my life.

However this summer while at my son's place, we spent quite a bit of time looking identifying trees around his home. For whatever reason, I found that really interesting.

I always start out with these exact good intentions every spring [to follow a plant from spring to fall] ... and usually forget about it. I didn't do too badly this year.

I'm looking forward to some winter ID'ing and more!

I need to get back to where I saw those Witch Hazels at KVR! That will be my goal next week!

One little clump of Fungi

 

This little pretty clump grew on the log next to where I have one of my trail cameras. It was really small maybe an 1.5 inches across the top. I just grabbed a quick shot for a possible ID later. 
One of the books says it was a grey oyster mushroom. Though seriously? I'm not picking and eating things I don't know enough about.

I can forage quite a few wild plants, but the fungi/mushroom world is still a work in progress for me.

Day two...They are starting to look ragged and breaking down. Tiny insects were all over them. Small enough to be 'flea' sized!

The didn't smell bad but a flurry of tiny bugs flew up when I poked the fungi.

Day three, a bit more ragged! But very beautiful in the heat and oppressive humidity.

Okay....

Well, it may be a type of oyster fungi. And I DID get back there while checking fences and it just looked like a mess of slimly blob stuff.

And then...

it was gone as if it never was.

And this it is with fungi. It is there and then gone. 

I find it so incredibly fascinating.

Fungi, lichen, moss, all those little things in the woods that keep things interesting.

Naturalist Curiosity

How do we love slime molds and fungi? 
Well, I assume not a lot of people like it.

I don't know why insects, slime mold, and fungi fascinate me. Maybe it is because they are part of such an incredibly small world that we never stop to look at.

White Tube Slime 
or
White Footed Slime
or
Honeycomb Coral Slime?

Take your pick. Hopefully I can go back out today and see if this grew at all and that might help ID it.
This slime mold [?] is smaller than a pencil lead.

Who am
I?

I don't know! There are possibilities, but none of the beetles I found while searching was this tiny. This insect is perched on one goldenrod blossom, that makes it very small.

More cool

slime molds

The penny is used to give the viewer an idea at the size of the cool white slimey stuff. It actually feels rather sticky. But its webs and details are so intriguing.

More cool

strange slime/fungi

white 'stuff'

Of course, this could be white footed slime which if it remains in a moist and warm place would develop into something identifiable. But the forecast looks dry for the next 7 to 8 days.

And then on to my favorites. The Dog Barf/Vomit or another name? Deer Barf! 

Or perhaps Scrambled Egg Slime.

Growing on my

mulch.

Harmless but strange!

Growing on a stump in the pasture.

My favorite fall insect. The Orb Weaver. She decided to set up in my Petunias and has been catching those awful Japanese Beetles that destroy my 4 O'Clocks!

Golden Orb Weaver

Garden

I like her, she is very productive. I've seen her wrap up about 2 of these beetles a day. I'm sure her 'kids' will love what she stored for them!

Lastly.
My only decent star trails/Perseids photo. I sat in the driveway yesterday morning and watched for a while before I decided to try and get a photo. There were 3 meteors that flashed through, but because I used LiveComp, the star trails sort of hide them. This was over my house which was Northwest and not the direction I was supposed to be looking.

And for those who 'see' things. I took a shot of a Teddy Bear cloud. I spent all morning trying to get that SD card to work. I lost it all by reformatting it. That is the first time in 10 years that happened to me. 

However to save the day, I took a terrible shot through the screen of a Duck while we were eating supper.

Ducky or

Bird 

in a wire Cage!

There.
I am off to find more curiosities in small places. 

I still am not allowed to do strenuous things. So I am ducking out of mowing and taking the afternoon to go explore a refurbished trail at KVR.

[Crossed Fingers...that is what I wish to do!]