September, 2018
As mentioned, that first night was cold. I woke up to a gorgeous morning … bright sunshine and fluffy white clouds in the very blue sky. After breakfast inside the warmth of each of our trailers, the three of us got together to chat about the day. We always ended up chatting about LOTS of things so it always took a while to talk about the day’s plans.
The view from our campsites included the lake, and also included a very nicely manicured golf course where the designers had left lots of the naturally growing trees.
After visiting with my friends that morning, I walked down to the lakeshore to snap some photos.
I don’t know what these plants are (above). Do any of you folks know?
Mark then took off in their truck, heading off to fish one of the local lakes which he did every morning. And then Robin walked down to the lake so she and I could head off on a hike around the lake, about 1.4 miles. What a nice walk!
We saw these nests in a few of the trees … I think Robin knew what they were but I’ve forgotten. Mongoose? Orangutans? Koala? I must confess ignorance.
From the farthest point away from the campground, the photo above was the view back to the campground across the lake. You can see why this place is so attractive to those of us who want to get away from the city crowds and noise. It’s heaven.
And, last but not least … in the last post, I promised to show you one of the amazing discoveries that Robin and I made during our walk around the lake. It really was amazing. I’m not kidding.
She was walking along the path in front of me. She noticed something on the ground and stopped to glance at it. Just a fraction of a second later, I noticed the exact same thing. It was tiny. So small that we were both surprised that we noticed it at all.
We couldn’t hardly believe it and, at first, didn’t want to touch it. We didn’t want to hurt it. It was a bird … a very tiny little bird … lying on its side on the dirt right beside the path. It didn’t move a muscle and so we assumed it was dead. We both hesitated even more, but eventually Robin reached down and picked it up. Ok, maybe I told her to, I don’t remember, but she was the brave one for sure.
It was so tiny!
And here’s a photo of it in Robin’s hand ….
Have you guessed? Did you know right off the bat? It’s not a bird … it’s a leaf! How amazing is this? Both of us really truly did think it was a dead bird until Robin picked it up and turned it over … and even then, we were stunned and had to convince ourselves of what we were seeing.
Later at home, I’ve thought about the definition of “art”. Is “art” real … or does it imitate something? Does “art” make us think it’s something other than what it is? Or is that simply real life being real life? Whatever answers we each come up with to those questions, this leaf was a special find.
Used plant id app called Picture This, found it is Water Smartweed, aka amphibious bistort. Don’t you just love the world of plant names?
The internet is a miracle isn’t it? My word, think of that .. a “Water Smartweed”. But what the heck is a bistort? Sounds like a French dessert gone awry. 🙂 Yes, the world of plant names is a wondrous thing. Thanks for the info Jan, very much appreciated.
If I was camping there, I would never want to leave.
That leaf sure does look like a bird. Pretty neat.
I went back and read comments on your last post. Marrionberry pie? Oh Wow!! So yummy.
I didn’t really want to leave either Ginger, except I knew winter was coming and it would get colder yet. In fact, if you look at the Google Earth view of Logan Lake in BC, you’ll see it’s solid ice! Not my cup of tea.
Ah yes, Marionberry pie … I think it’s my favorite.
Ann,
Once again, interesting read. How could you forget what kind of nests those were? They are, of course, nursery nests for Bigfoot, Yeti, or Sasquatch, whatever you like to call our wilderness living companions. The parents place the little ones up there while they are doing “stuff” in the woods. You are welcome…….
LOL!!
You are so smart, Bob, what would I do without you? Oh my word … ok, I have to stop laughing. Maybe. 🙂
And here I thought you might claim those are “turkey” nests, though I know that you know better than THAT. Oh my … 🙂
I’ve seen those nests before further north of here where we live. They are usually in trees on the plains in Canada but I guess there could be some further west too. They are Jackalope nests. Jackalopes are a cross between a Jackrabbit and an Antelope. They are strong enough to leap high up into the branches of trees when they are threatened or when they have young. Their tails are highly prized but extremely difficult to come by as they molt their tails only once every ten years or so.
LOL!! Stop! You guys have to stop! 🙂 You made me drop my exquisite French bistort dessert right in my lap.
Ok … haha! …. y’all know there is no such thing as a “Jackalope” right? Oh me. The molting “fact” was new to me tho Tim and you really did make me stop and think for just a second … good story.
Oh, this was fun. Thanks to both of you, Bob and Tim, for a really good laugh.
Pictures are great love the reflections
Thanks Jo. Glad you like them.