A short hike in NE Penjajawoc last week really lifted my spirits. Two types of tree lichen greeted me at the head of the trail. Bright green mosses on the soil, rocks and trees were dramatic against the white snow and brown of the leaf litter. White Pine, Hemlock and Balsam Fir added their green to the mix. Cones and other tree litter were scattered across the top of the remaining snow. A small trickle of water from melting snow ran down the sloping trail near Section 2. Then, further in, rushing water - increasing in volume with each step. The water action really began on the other side of the dam. It flowed fast and furious through two openings, down the stream and under the bridge. Foam from the waterfall accumulated in an inlet just beyond the bridge. It was good to see sign of recent beaver activity and, with ice remaining, it was easy to get a good picture of the lodge. The water was really cold! (Got a little too far out and went through, soaking my shoes.) Deep in the woods I could hear Black-capped Chickadee, a Mourning Dove, Woodpeckers drumming and another noisy bird in a treetop near the stream that I couldn’t see to identify. Near the marsh a pair of ducks flew overhead. Returning to the trailhead I could hear Northern Cardinal and Eastern Phoebe song. Looking closely at lichens and mosses, I spied a beetle in a tree stump and not far away a thread of spider silk that traveled from the stump to a nearby branch. Our wild back yard is alive and full of action right now. Enjoy the show.
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