Myrick Park - LaCrosse

I haven't been back to Myrick Park in over 10 years. The last time I was there was probably 2010. So I decided to make the short trip from the Craft Store to the City Park.

One would not think of a marsh land park in a city as a place that would be popular. But Myrick Park is extremely popular for the students of the University of LaCrosse to take walks in and for members of the public to have picnics in.

On any day the park is busy with moms and kids, business folks having lunch, students and teachers taking a walk, or the general public bicycling on trails. 

The LaCrosse River Marsh offers so much in nature to see. Birds, plants, and wildlife. On my walk I saw Herons, Muskrats, Turtles, Frogs, Snakes, Squirrels, and Raccoons. I did get a shot of the Heron when I stopped to talk with a nature photographer. I didn't bring a long lens, but I did grab a shot of him/her.

The photographer, George, was relatively new to the area but was enjoying photographing the marsh's diverse wildlife. He had a HUUUMONGOUS Monster lens that needed a tripod to sturdy it. I thought about lens envy but that left my mind quickly. I didn't want to carry anything that cumbersome.

We chatted a while and then I continued on my walk. The only irritating part of the walk was those who had speedy E-bikes that were racing up and down the main trail. I felt like I had to watch for traffic.

I turned off the main paved trail to walk out to a viewpoint. I did not have a huge zoom lens, so I missed the turtles way out on logs and of course, the muskrat sitting on a stump.

I did however get a shot of a squirrel. I know, not exciting. But hey, it was wildlife.

It is interesting to note that the marsh has a gas pipeline and other utilities running through it. I don't think it really affected the beauty of the Marsh at all. I found the power lines to be a reminder that we were in the middle of a city.

Infrared Photo

 I'd brought my IR camera along as I knew there would be great elements for infrared. Sky, water, trees, foliage, and green pond scum.

I wanted to get to the floating docks to look out over the Marsh to the east where the bluffs rise above the Marsh towards Grand Dads Bluff [another must see in LaCrosse]. 

But I had to stop and admire this giant Cottonwood. It is one of the biggest trees I've ever seen.

There are several Memorial Benches in the area and a few that are arranged in a circle to look out between the willow trees to the west.

Below is an Infrared Image I took standing at the base of the tree looking upwards.

It was at this tree that I met a father and son on little E bikes that were more like little electric motorcycles. The kid nearly ran into me as he was very wobbly. The dad stopped and we talked about the tree. He had a milk crate on the back of his bike thing. He picked up his mini collie and put him in the crate before they took off again.

I decided to be polite and keep my opinion about his wobbly kid running into pedestrians. Basically, I think some of these E bikes are totally out of control. Too much speed for a bike - walking trail.

I made it to the floating docks and looked out over the Marsh to Highway 16 which I'd just taken to get to the Marsh. Far in the distance a train had stopped on the tracks. I could hear the traffic noise in the distance over the calm waters. When the train started up again, you could hear the couplings of each train car clack clack as they engaged.

The train with the bluffs behind it.

The other end of the trail loop was closed for repair works, so I backtracked the same way I'd come. I stopped once more to ask George if he found any more interesting wildlife. He told me what he had seen and we parted ways.

The following is copied from the Myrick Park website. I know I will be going back with my BIG lens to look for wildlife and migrating birds in the spring. I'll probably go back in the winter to admire the stark marsh landscape when it is frozen.

Myrick Park was one of the earliest known parks in the City of La Crosse. This large park is a place for both relaxation and play. It features the Kid’s Coulee play area, beautiful shelters, and lets you see nature up close if you choose to hike on the marsh trails. The La Crosse River Marsh borders Myrick Park and is an excellent example of a riparian (river) wetland. Marshes usually have a greater variety of plants and animals than do grasslands or forests, and are essential for drought and flood control. The Marsh is 1,077 acres and is included in the Mississippi River Floodplain. Trails through the Marsh are accessible from Myrick Park.

October ...

Say goodbye to October.

The colors were incredible, the weather was quite beautiful but awfully dry. It was really a month to celebrate fall.

My camera was busy.

I hiked around our farm and sought out trails.

I enjoyed the beauty of golds, reds, and the colors of October skies. 

I watched wild life while leaning up against an ancient old oak. 

I listened to the birds chatter as they migrated through, stopping to rest in the yard and meadows.

I chuckled at the squirrels who scolded me from the Hickory trees.

I often sat quietly on the porch or a log in the woods, just to live in the moment.

and now we move on to the next chapter....

November....

The Garden Dog

The whole idea was to extend my garden a bit and make it easier to mow.

Or..
just plant more flowers so I'd have more to look at!

Ignore the broken down garage...it is

a project to be taken care of..

one day....

So I started putting the mulch down on the 'walkway' and re-arranging other parts of the garden.

I gathered up my collection of odd rocks and put them all in one spot, so I can admire them.

Really, aren't they odd and strange rocks? I want to say they are concretions, but I have never had any one tell me exactly what they are.

Odd and strange fossils are abundant in our area.

Apparently Charlie believes I put the dirt out just for him to sunbathe in. Won't he be surprised when I put seeds in there?

It seems as if the Unicorns have started to move in.....
I hope they like the big barn I built for them out of a coffee can.

Oh and the Rat Skeleton! Well, I was building this 'garden' on the idea that it would be fun for kids or adults to walk through the flowers and find odd and interesting things.
I intend on continuously changing it of course.

The Squirrels? Well, the Rabbits will come soon and hide out between flowers and stumps I imagine.

Okay...this was a Christmas Card holder...but...
I'm putting it in the garden...
the head bobbles...
It was one of the strangest gifts I've ever had. I've had a mind to toss it, but oddly enough I can't just toss it. I find myself putting it away for a while, then bringing it out again.
People can't help themselves by touching the head and watching it nod wisely.

Maybe this reindeer thing is wiser than the rest of us.


But maybe I just got a Garden Dog instead...

~~ that look...
Charlie has the right idea. Just lay out in the sun light and don't worry about a thing.
I wish I were Charlie!

How to build a stick house for a Fairy Garden

The weather turned down right dangerous with air temps at -18F and who knows what the wind chills were. I bundled up, did the chores and made sure all the equine had plenty of hay and heated water.
Since I had to be outside for a length of time, I dressed for it.
I actually was comfortable doing the chores and hauling hay in the large sled.
Going for a hike was out of the question, if I slipped or started to get cold, I'd be too far from help.

I decided that I'd collect some of the sticks I'd gathered while hiking with Charlie and Sven the other day [when it was mild] and 'create' a new Squirrel House.

I decided to use my cell phone and then write on the photos as I went through each step so here it is:

This is an old sour cream container that I cut a window in. Since it is a squirrel 'house' he/she can climb in and out easily right?
I painted the container black first so that if there were gaps, the sour cream lettering wouldn't show through.

The gorilla two sided tape is weather proof and will hold up to 15 lbs or so the package says. It is so much easier to use the tape and then put the sticks on than trying to glue them in place.

I was fascinated that I could break chunks of bark with lichen on it and press it onto the tape in the gaps ... seems it will stay? Time will tell.

I used hot glue and more scraps to fill in some of the other gaps that didn't have tape on it.

I was going to make a fancy top with some clay or something else but I decided just to go into my scraps area and grab some old bark I'd found laying in the woods. I used Gorilla Tape to hold down a layer of scraps. Hot glue works best on a porous surface so I glued more scraps on top of that to make a roof.

There. But I still had some a few more touches to add.

I think the Squirrel likes the little shack.

I rather like these little projects. This will be fun to put in a section of the new mini flower garden I'll do this spring. I may have to think of something to make the stick house heavier so it will stay put.

The stick houses are a lot of fun to make and cost nothing as I can gather the materials needed when I take a walk.
This was a great little day project to do while the temperatures outside kept me safely indoors.

One of the reasons I liked this project is that it did not have to be perfect. Too many 'Fairy Houses' look perfect. If a person was to do this with a child, it could be just like this.
I think it is still cute in its very non perfect way.

Besides, if a squirrel were to make this?
Well, have you ever seen a squirrel nest?

I rest my case!