View From Salt Lick Point (285/366)

TIME: 9:53 am 
PLACE: Salt Lick Point & Water Reserve Trail, Valmeyer, IL
SUBJECT: View

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HH and I took the dogs and headed for the Salt Lick Trail this morning.

We weren't the first on the trail, but we did arrive before it became crowded.



The trees were beginning to turn at the top....

But there was still plenty of green to see as well.
(looking back from where we came down the trail)


Here are the doggos at the end of the hike.

They are sitting by the old power building - tired, but happy.

Camping-Day 2 (137/365)

I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.
Henry David Thoreau

TIME:  Morning
PLACE:  Camp
SUBJECT:  Hiking Views

We woke up to more rain this morning.
The girls were supposed to do some archery, but it was too wet.
We went on a (muddy) hike instead.


The girls called this area “The Desert”
Massive rocks covered the ground.
Once we re-entered the forest though, mud was the name of the game.


An old root cellar was found.


The roof had collapsed and it was filled with water.

This graniteware pot was near the cellar, a spot of blue among the green and brown.


The trail ended on the main camp road.
We saw a turtle making his way across.
He hid when we caught up to him.


On the way back to our camp, we passed the cabooses where the Cadettes were staying.
Stella had the option to camp here, but she stayed in these last fall and wanted to try the tree houses this time.
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Of course, as we were leaving, the sun came out.

A Fungus Among Us (126/366)

“Not ringed but rare, not gilled but polyp-like, having sprung up overnight—These mushrooms of the gods, resembling human organs uprooted, rooted only on the air.”

William Jay Smith (b. 1918), U.S. poet. Morels (l. 12-13). . . Book of Nature Poems, A. William Cole, comp. (1969) The Viking Press.

TIME:  12:59 PM
PLACE:  Girl Scout camp
SUBJECT:  Mushrooms seen on a hike

After we arrived at camp, we had the girls stow their gear in the cabins, ate lunch and then we went on a scavenger hunt hike.  We had to find and take pictures of several different items one might see on a hike.  My charges, the Brownies (ages 8-9) ended up being one of the whiniest bunch ev-ver!  They moaned & groaned & complained about being hot, sweaty and tired from all that walking.  The other leader and I had to have a talk with them about the proper way for Girl Scouts to behave at camp and how anyone who complained would not be receiving their hiking badge nor would they be allowed to camp next year.  They straightened up and ended up having fun despite the heat & humidity.