tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83878372252225024622024-03-05T08:14:51.469-08:00 Getting Back to Nature -- Books by Jannifer PowelsonRachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk Series and
Nature Station Mystery SeriesJannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-44931085237464071092024-02-11T19:46:00.000-08:002024-02-11T19:46:25.701-08:00Abraham Lincoln: From Log Cabin to President -- By Brenna Powelson<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ahfYm6eRjSQWnVHUiUfjvintBTrceGtFr4yplqNLNgYM1CSfNem1Z8mSASp_igus_HjBWe_DG5YqKVUt5vTg_ZzKkV3m01tj32NiNa2QWyk15wvlY0ieJSAbYjdfxtaVhhAiUxbmFFWzEUoHRsfq_S1iOgBOyHPtlPLaVTghqVmKn1ngqDRLTE_2FIY/s4608/DSC_1307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ahfYm6eRjSQWnVHUiUfjvintBTrceGtFr4yplqNLNgYM1CSfNem1Z8mSASp_igus_HjBWe_DG5YqKVUt5vTg_ZzKkV3m01tj32NiNa2QWyk15wvlY0ieJSAbYjdfxtaVhhAiUxbmFFWzEUoHRsfq_S1iOgBOyHPtlPLaVTghqVmKn1ngqDRLTE_2FIY/w640-h426/DSC_1307.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Of the 46 U.S.
Presidents, Abraham Lincoln has been ranked the best by historians, but what
made Lincoln so special wasn't the fact that he saved the Union from falling to
its knees to the Confederacy, how he helped bring about the end of slavery, or
he proved <span style="background: white;">Democracy is the way to govern. If it were these things that
made Lincoln such a great president, why couldn't these things have been done
before his presidency, and why hadn't anyone else been able to accomplish what
Lincoln did? What made Lincoln, Lincoln? </span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">On February 12, 1809, Nancy and Thomas Lincoln welcomed a
baby boy into their home who would be named Abraham, named after his
grandfather who was killed by Native Americans. Abraham was not their first
child; his older sister Sarah was born February 10, 1807, exactly two days and
two years older than her brother. The family of four lived in a one room log
cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. Nancy spent her days doing household chores
and trying to teach her children to read and write the best she could, having
no formal education herself. Thomas Lincoln was a farmer; he had 30 acres and
raised pumpkins and corn. The children both attended a small school and helped
with chores around the house and farm–Sarah with her mother, and Abe with his
father. Abraham never truly enjoyed doing farm work and would rather be reading
and learning. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm9yuPHyL-3lEAKjcIJjC4eDVvzJ_tUV8ohbXQTGhljkoK24lzOGxZOLDNOtOAv9Stz-qfy-jGi0VXePF6fCRxK6M-DwB-wd94JtwU5DOZH7wR-sq6VOQRGBFHygS7SN5TOK-W43TMfEG3lPJYiP_reLe7HoB91bb7eAlJRpEh5iTSWoIfMKaEMnaP6I/s4608/DSC_1312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXm9yuPHyL-3lEAKjcIJjC4eDVvzJ_tUV8ohbXQTGhljkoK24lzOGxZOLDNOtOAv9Stz-qfy-jGi0VXePF6fCRxK6M-DwB-wd94JtwU5DOZH7wR-sq6VOQRGBFHygS7SN5TOK-W43TMfEG3lPJYiP_reLe7HoB91bb7eAlJRpEh5iTSWoIfMKaEMnaP6I/w266-h400/DSC_1312.JPG" width="266" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The
family lived in Kentucky until 1816. Because of conflicts over land
titles and wanting to get away from the raise of slavery in Kentucky, the
family moved to Pigeon Creek, Indiana, where Thomas built them a cabin. Abraham
continued to help his father on the farm and improved his skill with the ax and
the plow while continuing to attend school as often as he could but still very
little. Lincoln grew up without the love for farming his father wanted him to
have; however, to be fair, his love for farming would have been greater if he
hadn't been kicked in the head by a horse, causing a lazy eye. I wouldn't like
farming much either after that.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">In 1819
the Lincoln family had to deal with a tragic loss. His mother passed away after
getting milk sickness, which is caused when someone drinks the milk of a cow
that ate a toxic plant. This was a hard hit for everyone in the family but
mainly for Abraham, who was very close to his mother, as she encouraged him to
read and learn. Forty years later Lincoln still felt the impact of his mother
saying, "All that I am or hope to be, I own to my angel mother.” Thomas
and Abraham built a coffin and buried Nancy on a hill near the cabin.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Tn1sDQluMdZzeYkrAnjBiipJhj9OrZeCzciIezvDXDRNF-APIPdZmOFUNJNNaTaBnAKoXdkslg_DkKkC8zGCkxoA-i94ETyt0M0vIA_MVen79aWzf5BKWD3kUfio8p1engncxPknJfj3l4J6yQLyYX2sNIesdPrWMPg_xsfZ3KsDjBKlMO8xqG3ncr8/s4032/IMG_7978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Tn1sDQluMdZzeYkrAnjBiipJhj9OrZeCzciIezvDXDRNF-APIPdZmOFUNJNNaTaBnAKoXdkslg_DkKkC8zGCkxoA-i94ETyt0M0vIA_MVen79aWzf5BKWD3kUfio8p1engncxPknJfj3l4J6yQLyYX2sNIesdPrWMPg_xsfZ3KsDjBKlMO8xqG3ncr8/w400-h300/IMG_7978.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Unable
to live without his wife, Thomas went back to Kentucky to find a new wife named
Sarah Bush Johnston, who was a widow with children. Sarah loved the Lincoln
children like her own. Lincoln's stepmother always showed affection to her
stepson, and he returned her affection. Years after Lincoln's death Sarah would
say, ¨Abe was the best boy I ever saw.”<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lincoln
is known for his height. Standing at 6´4¨, he looked like a giant to most. At
19 years old Lincoln finished growing and spent his days wrestling with other
locals. He continued wrestling when he moved to New Salem, where he wrestled in
300 matches and only lost one. The people in New Salem said Lincoln could lift
a good amount of weight and drive an ax deeper than any man around.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Abraham and his sister grew up
very close and would were still close until January 20, 1828, when Sarah passed
away during childbirth. Sarah was married to Aaron Grigsby whose family lived
near the Lincoln family. When Abraham heard of his sister´s death, all we could
do was sob. After Abraham's death reporters traveled to Indiana to learn about
the President and said Lincoln blamed Sarah's death on her husband´s
negligence.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-SAPwwqKgqp7f_iLJC15hnQ4Z60LMGnFaYqs_P2LPh2JVlh7vyYhGXTVo6ANuYNDdx7OCBs6huGnLIIIT61LbtuKB_izImKozHYo2jK8Db6x39wfmiLBadqtSjxPKhHsUnFckEdbsDhjhnA8awDzHL-aqOycmNme2mWxnOYqszWu5tiWmYZtV9GTlNg/s4032/IMG_7952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-SAPwwqKgqp7f_iLJC15hnQ4Z60LMGnFaYqs_P2LPh2JVlh7vyYhGXTVo6ANuYNDdx7OCBs6huGnLIIIT61LbtuKB_izImKozHYo2jK8Db6x39wfmiLBadqtSjxPKhHsUnFckEdbsDhjhnA8awDzHL-aqOycmNme2mWxnOYqszWu5tiWmYZtV9GTlNg/w300-h400/IMG_7952.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white;">In 1828 Lincoln was invited by
James Gentry to go on a flatboat with Gentry’s son to New Orleans with produce.
Lincoln witnessed a slave auction, which greatly disturbed him and made a
lasting impact on him. Lincoln ended up working for Gentry at his store in
Illinois, where he developed an interest in politics. When people came into the
store they would talk about political views, and Lincoln would listen, then
began sharing views of his own. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 1830 Thomas Lincoln decided
to move his family to Macon County, Illinois. Abraham left his family and moved
to New Salem. Right off the bat Lincoln was well liked by his fellow citizens. During
his time in New Salem, Lincoln was busy. He was elected captain of the
thirty-first Regiment of the Illinois Militia in the Blackhawk War. He worked
odd jobs such as a shopkeeper, surveyor, postmaster and also began to read
law. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white;">Lincoln's professional life is
talked about very often, but what is not mentioned as much is his personal
life–for good reason, because it is sad. While in New Salem Lincoln met a lady
named </span><span style="background: white; color: #202124;">Ann
Rutledge</span><span style="background: white;">, who
would make Lincoln feel love then the deepest despair. The couple met when
Lincoln was working as the postmaster. Lincoln is known as the man who captured
Anne´s heart after her first failed engagement. ¨Lincoln's last law partner,
William Herndon, wrote in a letter that Lincoln and she were engaged. Lincoln
told me so.¨ While little</span> is known about the
couple it is said that Anne was Lincoln's first love, and when she died from
typhoid fever, Lincoln couldn't stand it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSuN-4Ysa3f_rdTK25jZn_yEDJ40vkjqOBnfxORyZaeFiKVyJLzoDFcVOep0vOSZ8rnBtS8of5sLmjluYr-1QYONk7_5nR7q5Vqj_gBdXwORhPCbbhVSI8rd6xyOqj_dWvLT-MPN4B1PP5uLlwIwyM1-8Pi-dCsLifKYOXAPAAQqbbnbsSmWoPpC1C6g/s4032/IMG_7953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSuN-4Ysa3f_rdTK25jZn_yEDJ40vkjqOBnfxORyZaeFiKVyJLzoDFcVOep0vOSZ8rnBtS8of5sLmjluYr-1QYONk7_5nR7q5Vqj_gBdXwORhPCbbhVSI8rd6xyOqj_dWvLT-MPN4B1PP5uLlwIwyM1-8Pi-dCsLifKYOXAPAAQqbbnbsSmWoPpC1C6g/w400-h300/IMG_7953.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lincoln eventually
married Miss Mary Todd, a woman who was best described by a friend of Lincoln
as, a woman who was to make his domestic life “a burning, scorching hell,
terrible as death and as gloomy as the grave.” Mary was the opposite of her
future husband. When Lincoln arrived in Illinois, he already had a crowd of
people following him, wanting to know the tall lanky man. Mary, on the other
hand, was not well liked. It is said that everyone who met her disliked her.
The couple married in 1842 and lived in Springfield. They were the talk of the
town, with people saying such things as <span style="background: white;">“She
seemed to take a special delight in contradicting her husband and humiliating
him on every occasion,” said Maria Biddle. “Poor Abe, I can see him now
running and crouching,” William Herdon said. Mary would even assault the man
with broomsticks, potatoes, pieces of stove wood, cups of hot coffee—sometimes
striking him hard enough to draw blood. </span><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The
unhappy couple remained married until the fateful day in April of 1865. They
had four children: Robert 1843-1926, Edward 1846-1850, Thomas 1853-1871, and
the youngest William, who lived 1850-1862. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aJCb2-_bii0ri2E4tDXQ_BYZ0SDhpOIW2Hpg96wrxt4xj7-qqrpQp12Ysjq2ECos6walvQfOwlP2jTC6Uq14SiUMnB83mM7x3wD72FlecxyIGYZtCK4QfhjrDIcsaVN_5wLTEcSnO8gWuaqS7Jo-MzltLJJ4xuOwSFvvXANmV87EQMVI9rJNuDmw2Tg/s4032/IMG_7960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aJCb2-_bii0ri2E4tDXQ_BYZ0SDhpOIW2Hpg96wrxt4xj7-qqrpQp12Ysjq2ECos6walvQfOwlP2jTC6Uq14SiUMnB83mM7x3wD72FlecxyIGYZtCK4QfhjrDIcsaVN_5wLTEcSnO8gWuaqS7Jo-MzltLJJ4xuOwSFvvXANmV87EQMVI9rJNuDmw2Tg/w400-h300/IMG_7960.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Lincoln
is very well known for his political career, but some may not know that he
started his political career at a young age. In 1834 he was elected as a Whig
candidate in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, where he served
until 1846 when he was elected from the Whig Party to the United States House
of Representatives, where he only served one term. During his term he
introduced spot resolutions, </span><span style="background: rgb(246, 246, 246); color: black;">challenging President James K. Polk to prove
that the "spot" of land on which American blood had been shed was the
event that prompted the United States to declare war on Mexico had in fact been
shed on American soil</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">. In
March of 1849 he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court before resuming
law in Springfield. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 1854 Lincoln was inspired to
return to politics when passage of the Kansas Nebraska Act allowed slavery to
expand beyond their existing boundaries. He gave a three hour speech to run for
the Illinois House of Representatives, which was unsuccessful, as was his run
for the Illinois Senate.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4ns3Lmqwia__vQmFdVSyaLMXUPKtIF7L0_P8TYwfAoHEkRRcu22n6xJmCRbIMYY9zKNOmJMZTJNC3b09Z3vmXrugeTaWmfxkw1MlywikyDFoo99aRfFk1yaf9NejsqhSzZ1Yw-_tNNunCrEcBWsyI6SjNY6tCKpxv3wOSUZi8lPopKHxsJHg84fnn4A/s4608/DSC_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4ns3Lmqwia__vQmFdVSyaLMXUPKtIF7L0_P8TYwfAoHEkRRcu22n6xJmCRbIMYY9zKNOmJMZTJNC3b09Z3vmXrugeTaWmfxkw1MlywikyDFoo99aRfFk1yaf9NejsqhSzZ1Yw-_tNNunCrEcBWsyI6SjNY6tCKpxv3wOSUZi8lPopKHxsJHg84fnn4A/w266-h400/DSC_1317.JPG" width="266" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Between August to October of 1858
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, the Democratic candidate for the United
States Senate, traveled around Illinois debating on certain topics, with each
debate lasting three hours. These debates put Lincoln's political career on the
map, while muffling Douglas´ Career. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">Over the years Lincoln
became very popular in Illinois, and the northern states nominated him to run
as president on May 18, 1860. He ran against the other candidates: John
Breckinridge as a southern Democrat, John Bell, Constitutional Union, and Stephen
A Douglas as a Democratic candidate </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">Abraham Lincoln won the
election, becoming the 16th president of the United States, with 180 electoral
votes and 1,866,452 poplar votes. John Breckinridge lost with 72 electoral
votes and 847,953 popular votes, John Bell with 39 electoral votes and 590,901
popular votes, and Stephen Douglas with 12 electoral votes and 1,380,202
popular votes.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">From March 4, 1861 to
April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln served his four-year term as President of the
United States, and from April 12, 1861 to April 9, 1865, the American Civil War
was fought. The war lasted four years, becoming one of the bloodiest battles in
American history. On April 15th President Lincoln called for 75,000 militia,
after which Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee seceded from the
Union in the following weeks.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxzE_Ikqh_-1nC14ZFhJDrr2r5VdeuCiTo4WqIjqgyI2MQxGzxySJo2af8xBu0gKWSswUsuIAKsxDVLAU_H-JbElX_zwkVSsm2HGG3WtkDvMi5XVJ_qkMAllS_NXUGTCbwXMj-dT7_fchj8qMiV6RZS0tqqrZKe-nzwyprMguDz2xEnFUMPeUO-qz0j8/s4438/DSC_0734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4438" data-original-width="2960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxzE_Ikqh_-1nC14ZFhJDrr2r5VdeuCiTo4WqIjqgyI2MQxGzxySJo2af8xBu0gKWSswUsuIAKsxDVLAU_H-JbElX_zwkVSsm2HGG3WtkDvMi5XVJ_qkMAllS_NXUGTCbwXMj-dT7_fchj8qMiV6RZS0tqqrZKe-nzwyprMguDz2xEnFUMPeUO-qz0j8/w266-h400/DSC_0734.JPG" width="266" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">During the bloody war
the president tried to lead the Union to success while the Confederacy tried to
drag the Union through the mud. Soldiers dropped like flies due to war
conditions or sicknesses like pneumonia, typhoid, diarrhea/dysentery, and
malaria. Many deaths were a result of infected battle wounds that were left
untreated. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The first two years of the war
dragged by for the soldiers, for the president, and for the United States as a
whole. While not actually fighting on the battlefield himself, Lincoln would
communicate with the military using electronic devices such as the telegram,
making him the first president in history to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8387837225222502462/727234898609140272"><span style="color: black;">After Lincoln was
elected the South started to secede from the Union, with South Carolina being
the first to secede on December 20 of 1860. Lincoln had to secretly arrive in
Washington DC after an assassin attempt in Baltimore. One March 4th, Lincoln
was Inaugurated the 16th president of the United States. On April 12th the
Confederacy fired on the Union held Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War. </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On January 1st of 1863,
the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, which stated enslaved people in
rebelling states could be free. Black troops were happy, but white southerners
were outraged. This document was a turning point, because now the end goal was
to make a better Union without slavery. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBFYncqS6A3wUSGy6pvl3hz-MeMjIrC4Roi8CUYFH650trgjomoOHbhDeGqt73DJmrmaV5O8SvlMrGpI_ppsMFfJxAnVuKIwYUFg8tWdKcP1kO0LgL2itt8px6TuVI12g06cuXwkpbtHYjeyAa8oqmJ3mHOiiQEJwNsAlb55wLpoFZAo0VGbXjv-PsD8/s4608/DSC_0737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBFYncqS6A3wUSGy6pvl3hz-MeMjIrC4Roi8CUYFH650trgjomoOHbhDeGqt73DJmrmaV5O8SvlMrGpI_ppsMFfJxAnVuKIwYUFg8tWdKcP1kO0LgL2itt8px6TuVI12g06cuXwkpbtHYjeyAa8oqmJ3mHOiiQEJwNsAlb55wLpoFZAo0VGbXjv-PsD8/w400-h266/DSC_0737.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of the most famous battles in the Civil War
was the Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1-3, 1863. The battle had more
casualties than any other battles of the war, but the Union came out on top
after a gruesome battle. Thirty-three thousand were wounded, and ten thousand
died. There were six Confederate generals and five Union generals in this
battle, more than any other battle. <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The
Battle of Gettysburg is known as one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
Months later in November of 1863 the nation was looking for their leader to
guide them after years of fighting and gallons of blood shed on American soil.
President Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in American history.
Lasting only two minutes and consisting of only 272 words, it was Lincoln's
shortest speech. </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">The next two years of
the war felt like two decades, but on April 9, 1865 at last the Union won over
the Confederacy. With the war finished, the 13th Amendment went into effect,
freeing all enslaved people in the nation. Unfortunately, the president would
only have six days to celebrate with the Union.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4rL6ctfHpqGDsip6VTA7EUEVou2DyVrKSHLDAEoqBgIlbzrP1oisM46C6NcP4Mp5rY8hGvwgTJsnQ0ADAe5E0U6m3EK6hIi_pDoPP2FnujMyk5S87O9XRJryFKHtGnaHvdqZvJfzrzmYS49AnzD6xrM05zPnwzPUWKWYd5Kg0IaSnngET4UgqfvtQ70/s4551/DSC_0733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4551" data-original-width="3034" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4rL6ctfHpqGDsip6VTA7EUEVou2DyVrKSHLDAEoqBgIlbzrP1oisM46C6NcP4Mp5rY8hGvwgTJsnQ0ADAe5E0U6m3EK6hIi_pDoPP2FnujMyk5S87O9XRJryFKHtGnaHvdqZvJfzrzmYS49AnzD6xrM05zPnwzPUWKWYd5Kg0IaSnngET4UgqfvtQ70/w266-h400/DSC_0733.JPG" width="266" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On April 14th at 10:20 p.m. Lincoln
was watching a play at Ford's Theater when John Wilkes Booth snuck up behind
him and shot him straight into the back of his head. Lincoln was taken across
the street at the Petersen boarding house, since it was thought Lincoln would
not survive the ride to the White House due to bumpy roads. In Lincoln´s room,
his wife Mary checked on him regularly. Outside thousands of people were on the
street waiting for news.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">At 7:22 a.m. President
Lincoln was pronounced dead; for this was one hit the president could not shake
off. However, his leadership changed the state of Illinois and the entire
country more than any other president.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyLrqjCA1Mw0KY4bwFTKW9dTTpN7vnOAurBlXEbZZeJJv7SZS94agQ17GrGjrZpE6glBRampRo_M51B17dSXyeZ_yWOpm3OD-ohJOzSyIUTjDriZrktXOuj0tIHNIqLQQ7a_VdVApw2gFOgEHh_mQoyc26HIExd3oW2vb_2f6Wl1V2Cw3xiexpW-3QOo/s4608/2021-09-05%2003.34.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyLrqjCA1Mw0KY4bwFTKW9dTTpN7vnOAurBlXEbZZeJJv7SZS94agQ17GrGjrZpE6glBRampRo_M51B17dSXyeZ_yWOpm3OD-ohJOzSyIUTjDriZrktXOuj0tIHNIqLQQ7a_VdVApw2gFOgEHh_mQoyc26HIExd3oW2vb_2f6Wl1V2Cw3xiexpW-3QOo/w400-h266/2021-09-05%2003.34.28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background: white; color: #050505;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITQN0JvId6zyBYrlL6Wwd4LDlHuX4ZgyYLMMSPBo6G8CtsmdAGZ0_xrDx5c8qOPV00vK8pV7wKnIQumV9Pdqlg2KoJg8Rh8yUmgVZhPE0OJGCmczK8R5cjLtXpgOvSXRWmbnRFw_-wyGl3IqkowveT4H__dfzV1qHY_tLN2UMMljNTnE0I9C-8H1qyxA/s4608/2021-09-05%2003.37.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITQN0JvId6zyBYrlL6Wwd4LDlHuX4ZgyYLMMSPBo6G8CtsmdAGZ0_xrDx5c8qOPV00vK8pV7wKnIQumV9Pdqlg2KoJg8Rh8yUmgVZhPE0OJGCmczK8R5cjLtXpgOvSXRWmbnRFw_-wyGl3IqkowveT4H__dfzV1qHY_tLN2UMMljNTnE0I9C-8H1qyxA/w640-h426/2021-09-05%2003.37.59.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span><p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-18653107116182359042024-02-11T11:30:00.000-08:002024-02-11T14:34:43.474-08:00Weathering the Storms<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn8xEDQ0ZWLNhyNx7Gn70_HK30PVzdo7sXmTaqfJisNBulo54FRQWwYNDjx8tzw2ygiJbzZ-NIa2VWnBvye1t1cpfrxFmdDIp9gLFRsKdsm48LPIrBK5VboSHfsB1VmsDYvx0yNqAS2VPWDBhDLOm_JqOzf56KeCiQqR0jf47x3VGmuthwnm2jlO_W-8/s5685/JAN_8316.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3790" data-original-width="5685" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizn8xEDQ0ZWLNhyNx7Gn70_HK30PVzdo7sXmTaqfJisNBulo54FRQWwYNDjx8tzw2ygiJbzZ-NIa2VWnBvye1t1cpfrxFmdDIp9gLFRsKdsm48LPIrBK5VboSHfsB1VmsDYvx0yNqAS2VPWDBhDLOm_JqOzf56KeCiQqR0jf47x3VGmuthwnm2jlO_W-8/w640-h426/JAN_8316.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Living
in the Midwest, we are familiar with the ever changing, diverse, and oftentimes,
extreme weather. I don’t need to tell you how crazy Mother Nature’s mood swings
can be. We’ve all experienced them—sometimes two or three within a twenty-four
hour period!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqElYKZourJG6fUvE6gxAmgbr3A2dqmOSFhewZPcaVxYFXDUiSgdYi7YER0NocDTILUTlyvnwrw_WM_vdTE9MDkcsqqjFKNyuhiHR8zEWIqD6yYmZCXyce283O0-euz1qFpT-Wagw9idHC9l8XfUHbIp888fbuBeskkFxH46LCxPX4PjOIlB6lWGbPeZQ/s6000/JAN_8091.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqElYKZourJG6fUvE6gxAmgbr3A2dqmOSFhewZPcaVxYFXDUiSgdYi7YER0NocDTILUTlyvnwrw_WM_vdTE9MDkcsqqjFKNyuhiHR8zEWIqD6yYmZCXyce283O0-euz1qFpT-Wagw9idHC9l8XfUHbIp888fbuBeskkFxH46LCxPX4PjOIlB6lWGbPeZQ/w400-h266/JAN_8091.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span class="contentpasted0">Living
in a rural community, not only do we experience these weather events on a
regular basis, but we talk about them—at lot! In fact, chatting about the
weather in these parts isn’t just making small talk, it’s talking about
something important to our daily lives. Whether we are working, exercising, or
playing outdoors, being out and about taking care of business, or trying to
figure out if the roads are passable, the weather is important. It’s also
important to know what the weather is supposed to do. We have forecasts
available at the tap of a phone screen. While weather apps are handy, they are
constantly updating as the weather and conditions change, giving us more reason
to constantly check our phones!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="contentpasted0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgJUyMgMOT6iqtTyKr9Gf1KougM-TBLgM-58zCHaZdcZPcmsrYlYCFe5bSB2WmKkPBa7HCwPpNG8uozQ7LKG9ZPqNLgXn6zxO8ZXiIOMcAJmG8_EQLkgsPPw1dP2jUu6-MFXH_zjLTGoFVopkFzNP-A_eJC1YSnvC-KpFEd0peqZQJzA_V4VBifzON1c/s6000/JAN_8214.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgJUyMgMOT6iqtTyKr9Gf1KougM-TBLgM-58zCHaZdcZPcmsrYlYCFe5bSB2WmKkPBa7HCwPpNG8uozQ7LKG9ZPqNLgXn6zxO8ZXiIOMcAJmG8_EQLkgsPPw1dP2jUu6-MFXH_zjLTGoFVopkFzNP-A_eJC1YSnvC-KpFEd0peqZQJzA_V4VBifzON1c/w266-h400/JAN_8214.JPG" width="266" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span class="contentpasted0">Growing
up on a grain and livestock farm, and weathering the blizzards of the late seventies,
I know that even though winter weather can be interesting and beautiful, it can
also be dangerous. It can make it much harder to do the most basic of chores—watering
and feeding livestock. With current technology we can look ahead and plan
ahead, but it’s still no fun working outdoors under severe weather conditions. When
heavy snow and strong wind hits, even the best laid plans can go awry.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="contentpasted0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPHA3mQ4zdVFZ9uY7cg0rsR0CF0yTFoc90f7g5aWFqR-DqlJAbDcj7uJWmcYdlGYoQ2IszD8hrG2Bc2PRgRw8nAGm5KRmQaUlxboACTETEOvHXvaXliC6A4CA6krCodxPpQXeTldMLyRVg62Pv9dele4ldIdum5vdOdybbIFsMULbcfoIn2MXva8zYoc/s6000/JAN_8377.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPHA3mQ4zdVFZ9uY7cg0rsR0CF0yTFoc90f7g5aWFqR-DqlJAbDcj7uJWmcYdlGYoQ2IszD8hrG2Bc2PRgRw8nAGm5KRmQaUlxboACTETEOvHXvaXliC6A4CA6krCodxPpQXeTldMLyRVg62Pv9dele4ldIdum5vdOdybbIFsMULbcfoIn2MXva8zYoc/w400-h266/JAN_8377.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span class="contentpasted0">With
my current work as a conservationist, I try
to plan field work for decent weather, but that’s not always possible. Hot and
humid weather is not ideal, and neither is extremely cold, wet, and windy
weather. During the winter, frozen fields without much snow cover can make
field work go faster, allowing for driving across the fields to save much time.
Last year, I had the misfortune to get stuck not once, but twice, when doing
field work. That is more than all my previous 29 years at the Stark County SWCD
combined. There was also a very near miss on a dirt road that
started off innocent enough, but ended with me having very sweaty clenched
palms around the steering wheel and my heart racing. Since we rarely have sunny
and 75 degree days, that means we must work outdoors in less than perfect
weather much of the time.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="contentpasted0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cRwYlistAzArCE9GIt-jIH-SBMdvq6CBI9MgjSfddQ-kb5xwrl4qT1GsQ6cSfgflUiyPr9r7tXQFaLXty3YYzjv_I1p4xcVhFxxIE2DwPcTqWZRpXKRK6DJD6v8HmJ3lH83hX5KYjDOEluQcrsa0TkKFABh-E2mVWQ_QmXsLVu91H2ua8ImPUKZFr0I/s5436/JAN_8350.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3624" data-original-width="5436" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cRwYlistAzArCE9GIt-jIH-SBMdvq6CBI9MgjSfddQ-kb5xwrl4qT1GsQ6cSfgflUiyPr9r7tXQFaLXty3YYzjv_I1p4xcVhFxxIE2DwPcTqWZRpXKRK6DJD6v8HmJ3lH83hX5KYjDOEluQcrsa0TkKFABh-E2mVWQ_QmXsLVu91H2ua8ImPUKZFr0I/w400-h266/JAN_8350.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span class="contentpasted0">Fortunately,
I try to see the beauty in my surroundings every day. So while it’s tempting to
stay tucked away inside as much as possible in bad weather, I wouldn’t want to
miss the opportunity to catch winter weather scenery photos. I’m out with my
camera on foggy, misty, frosty, snowy, and icy days, photographing some of
nature’s simplest but finest beauty—various forms of precipitation on our local
native trees, plants, and landscapes. Sometimes weathering the storm can be a
beautiful thing, as long as you’re prepared for the worst.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="contentpasted0"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt3ykOZwLSNcVynr4ITBDV5-7hkyjReAke5sFtu5xv2seqfkC3aYSV0A-9H6c6WoLX5GX0_E4TTn0W6d2gD8QIWCJvBaOYIMJgx7G4beMmCAJZbqVvrYqENcsBjEHTM72UuLq9gcPS5vmBWEF03tgC9I16V8X5oJ1g5UGnMPC9tMbSG1v0Ha3GwEl-wg/s5395/JAN_8362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3596" data-original-width="5395" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWt3ykOZwLSNcVynr4ITBDV5-7hkyjReAke5sFtu5xv2seqfkC3aYSV0A-9H6c6WoLX5GX0_E4TTn0W6d2gD8QIWCJvBaOYIMJgx7G4beMmCAJZbqVvrYqENcsBjEHTM72UuLq9gcPS5vmBWEF03tgC9I16V8X5oJ1g5UGnMPC9tMbSG1v0Ha3GwEl-wg/w400-h266/JAN_8362.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span class="contentpasted0"><br /></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Century Schoolbook",serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span class="contentpasted0"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 8pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_Ht-d_dNKEi-LbiZiBN7xOeiFj1v7phrS_SrYvxybD6o-zqPdyjtU4jGtbvyVdV-P2l8ajjpakJrT14z-UK6BptKS9RpeK0t3n9FTOMHOvSPsi25xE4Nl6QoFC638wAXtrqS1EB98dn6BSaXFyIjofgXUn0oHf6Afr_TqmyFBZG9VZh2BPUM4mZjxaA/s6000/JAN_8285.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_Ht-d_dNKEi-LbiZiBN7xOeiFj1v7phrS_SrYvxybD6o-zqPdyjtU4jGtbvyVdV-P2l8ajjpakJrT14z-UK6BptKS9RpeK0t3n9FTOMHOvSPsi25xE4Nl6QoFC638wAXtrqS1EB98dn6BSaXFyIjofgXUn0oHf6Afr_TqmyFBZG9VZh2BPUM4mZjxaA/w640-h426/JAN_8285.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span class="contentpasted0"><br /></span><p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-21113184950083568332023-11-17T12:48:00.000-08:002023-11-17T12:48:10.622-08:00Checking out the Local Scene(ry)<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC41kNHMveoZaTNMbdk98EaUrHF2sS4tzjMNl5Uomo3xe08raxve8haX1QQ0nmesjV2OmKoZjTeQctJGnAX-m43yUc1EQGTY1VEVCcDYkAUsskNKkVpn1GPNXZuaKmCmpuwQidVj2tqzy2wPHVj-Ak_uMwW5O2Uwvrz_pRrVCT6JfyNx2yr-w0P-qa-Q/s6000/JAN_7460_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC41kNHMveoZaTNMbdk98EaUrHF2sS4tzjMNl5Uomo3xe08raxve8haX1QQ0nmesjV2OmKoZjTeQctJGnAX-m43yUc1EQGTY1VEVCcDYkAUsskNKkVpn1GPNXZuaKmCmpuwQidVj2tqzy2wPHVj-Ak_uMwW5O2Uwvrz_pRrVCT6JfyNx2yr-w0P-qa-Q/w640-h426/JAN_7460_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hennepin Canal at Lock 19 near Wyanet</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">I love traveling. Whether
it’s checking out unusual and breathtaking scenic areas or experiencing
different cultures, architecture styles, foods, museums, and other cool stuff
in a big city, traveling is an amazing experience. Wherever I travel to I try
to soak up as much local color as possible. Since we live in an area that isn’t
known or widely visited for its scenic beauty we oftentimes overlook it. But
there are so many local areas to explore, and once you start looking closely
the beauty shines through.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB4RUexBRraf63FY-26s25I4nKKlag26DYFNboGxbaqO4jxhLeJGBdjWe5AfRnJEA58ZDX15orzX_ivd4J7tLaPIK0L-v1N9AhdZcbUQkI7FdNUM6x2oz_1gaVaNz4p8TKYGzOKWUmazpPo2mE8vrzusspo6-Msr4rrsHhxU4LgQG_1kb0_5I7eA1ewg/s3545/JAN_6075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2364" data-original-width="3545" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioB4RUexBRraf63FY-26s25I4nKKlag26DYFNboGxbaqO4jxhLeJGBdjWe5AfRnJEA58ZDX15orzX_ivd4J7tLaPIK0L-v1N9AhdZcbUQkI7FdNUM6x2oz_1gaVaNz4p8TKYGzOKWUmazpPo2mE8vrzusspo6-Msr4rrsHhxU4LgQG_1kb0_5I7eA1ewg/w400-h266/JAN_6075.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Tailed Blues at Nachusa Grasslands</td></tr></tbody></table></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-highlight: white;">Because I’m constantly on
the lookout for new-to-me species to include in the children’s books I write,
I’ve been on the go a lot the past couple of years</span><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"> visiting natural areas to keep expanding not only my
photography collection to use in my books, but also to expand my knowledge of
the natural world. After all these years—more than 37—of working in and
studying nature, I still not only enjoy it, but am always learning something
new. In fact, I’ve decided that the more I know, the less I know. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">For example, who knew there were so many fall asters? The more
species I come across, the harder it is to tell one from another. Even
individual plants within the same species may have color, size, and growth
variations, further complicating the identification process. Even though many
people probably don’t know or care about telling one aster apart from another,
it’s fun for me to run across ones I’ve never seen—or noticed—before.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4QeOzNOPT2hWgHV6yUr9d8HN_awfLGb1CFoE34Css6uZr_KuUJs5SdfAq3KPS7We-sba687vfEMtVm7KjLD6uqkrW9hj2LC2CT2dIR6TdEOxuL-V0aCEExkVEG9nRSNT12-VuCwe-QJH3loXwYPmowc2xo3wR9dxGCvnihyvHxGYq_nEgY9kc6hkKcY/s6000/KEN_4672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4QeOzNOPT2hWgHV6yUr9d8HN_awfLGb1CFoE34Css6uZr_KuUJs5SdfAq3KPS7We-sba687vfEMtVm7KjLD6uqkrW9hj2LC2CT2dIR6TdEOxuL-V0aCEExkVEG9nRSNT12-VuCwe-QJH3loXwYPmowc2xo3wR9dxGCvnihyvHxGYq_nEgY9kc6hkKcY/w266-h400/KEN_4672.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compass Plant at Munson Prairie near Cambridge</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">Plus, there’s the fact that these late bloomers are a goldmine
for pollinators. During a recent trip to the Sandy Hollow Prairie area at Dixon
Waterfowl Refuge, I noted a dozen butterfly species within a few hundred feet
from the parking area. Most of them were attracted to Showy Goldenrods (and
yes, there are multiple native goldenrod species as well!). When I visited the
next week, the goldenrods were done blooming, and pollinators were feasting on
clumps of the remaining Aromatic Asters in bloom.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh858PqixEi9GaTgTns5kdw94BOiiEpkQ7jSgg2OcCtuyie0e_HSKqdrmUC6F9N1GyED3abD8GDZ3I8ShIc9Py4-mTvZbGVp7f3QgDGSXTWjcN6xLl8njFqFLBiOcwkDrxZQqOrz1Jui3FKt0kVYj03xUdyNDT1gJFA-oDRL_QaormP4t8MZxWhr93C1VI/s5604/JAN_7338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5604" data-original-width="3736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh858PqixEi9GaTgTns5kdw94BOiiEpkQ7jSgg2OcCtuyie0e_HSKqdrmUC6F9N1GyED3abD8GDZ3I8ShIc9Py4-mTvZbGVp7f3QgDGSXTWjcN6xLl8njFqFLBiOcwkDrxZQqOrz1Jui3FKt0kVYj03xUdyNDT1gJFA-oDRL_QaormP4t8MZxWhr93C1VI/w266-h400/JAN_7338.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadows behind Prairie Dock at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">Another neat place I’ve discovered this year is Nachusa
Grasslands, east of Dixon. This huge area is composed of both remnant and
restored prairie, savanna, wetland, and forest habitats. I’ve lost track of the
new plants I’ve encountered when roaming over the thousands of acres (being
careful to avoid the roaming bison within their fenced in prairie pastures) of
this site.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MVu9IlZ5MqN_huptnXr4nlKz3RYpVDVwLEez2fgqTCZos25mcVT7beup9kFtPpU1P3oOkdD_4dVo-F1p6Zg1iR6TbspL-Bde3YkcvCwCBB1ZXLrsx_fZPQUm2TCTCioagZDJZqnHrChG8lyU3YJWQjvArHN_Qfgqknbo6hUm0pZzgChtwXXcK-huDHc/s5853/KEN_3717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3901" data-original-width="5853" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MVu9IlZ5MqN_huptnXr4nlKz3RYpVDVwLEez2fgqTCZos25mcVT7beup9kFtPpU1P3oOkdD_4dVo-F1p6Zg1iR6TbspL-Bde3YkcvCwCBB1ZXLrsx_fZPQUm2TCTCioagZDJZqnHrChG8lyU3YJWQjvArHN_Qfgqknbo6hUm0pZzgChtwXXcK-huDHc/w400-h266/KEN_3717.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goats Rue at Nachusa Grasslands</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">I’ve also “haunted” some local remnant prairie cemeteries this
year such as Munson Cemetery near Cambridge, Scotch Cemetery near Victoria, and
Hetzler Cemetery near LaMoille. These hidden gems are great places for those
who want to go back in time to experience both the historical aspect, plus the
natural aspect. Having never been plowed, these areas are a goldmine of high
quality native plant species. Some are well maintained with fire and weed
removal while others need some help, but there are still hidden treasures within
them, waiting to be discovered. I also visited McCune Sand Prairie north of
Mineral a few times during the summer. What an interesting and beautiful place
not far from home that’s full of Eastern prickly pear cactus and other neat
finds.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzcPVBgf5Lsk_OBrRwSlQ3E28Ef5oysBBt5z4XcV50Xa9EkOvGVGA5v7nA8_XTRe094jRgF457Ly9VPHK-qVDoz6NKXU80fHraTE7efBMp-9bcIj0t2a8cBkIZBtXJ7hT6X4PLFhZ1oTMcZ5ownmVptjZwap2ZITbsXM6-qYKZy0NTfGTputDKGTq5dc/s5178/KEN_3542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3452" data-original-width="5178" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzcPVBgf5Lsk_OBrRwSlQ3E28Ef5oysBBt5z4XcV50Xa9EkOvGVGA5v7nA8_XTRe094jRgF457Ly9VPHK-qVDoz6NKXU80fHraTE7efBMp-9bcIj0t2a8cBkIZBtXJ7hT6X4PLFhZ1oTMcZ5ownmVptjZwap2ZITbsXM6-qYKZy0NTfGTputDKGTq5dc/w400-h266/KEN_3542.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus at McCune Sand Prairie near Mineral</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";">With the onset of much awaited fall foliage comes a different
type of beauty. As I drive to and from work, my mouth gapes in wonder at the
lovely diversity of not only color, but also shapes, sizes, and textures of the
trees, especially my favorites, oak and hickory trees. When you see a hillside
dotted with trees, it’s like looking at a crayon box full of vivid yellows,
oranges, reds, greens, browns, and all colors between. During summer, the tree
foliage looks pretty similar, but once the days grow shorter and cooler, the
differences between the trees become more apparent. Finally, the late fall
winds and cooler temperatures bring about a starker beauty, and we are left
with the bark and branches. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfBnG96WByoHQauxYUVtZdSnY-vvA6_AMhosrqvoAd_qtytuJWmH8Ke-U0xWjkNwf0FfAMSwIJKjgjUSLmFiK_I8Tj9rV_i6Dt7q2yVrC010ay-rp4cuEIjxr-LU2j0HbjaHSoCn18UOZIvUMPdrz3Gc35yQBOvYI-A7EC6hjRVBdZobjYRTSX-CrFxQ/s5492/JAN_7270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3661" data-original-width="5492" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfBnG96WByoHQauxYUVtZdSnY-vvA6_AMhosrqvoAd_qtytuJWmH8Ke-U0xWjkNwf0FfAMSwIJKjgjUSLmFiK_I8Tj9rV_i6Dt7q2yVrC010ay-rp4cuEIjxr-LU2j0HbjaHSoCn18UOZIvUMPdrz3Gc35yQBOvYI-A7EC6hjRVBdZobjYRTSX-CrFxQ/w400-h266/JAN_7270.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rustic Corncrib in Putnam County<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333;">While we may long for sandy white beaches, tall snowy mountains, or the thrill of a foreign and ancient city, we can still take a mini vacation without leaving the county. All we need are good observation skills, and you never know what is waiting to be discovered on our local backroads.</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Narrow"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Narrow";"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVz63rxlG9ciUXetOzMM-K80azUNmlTUTVOgc1_yMdO75H0wEhnH3A_OhLoR8hIUgLpLr6K98anvyC0mnzwJoN3ntCB6-4vdrSWfz7xRItF9puXN7VTypGtD5-eB9FeXqdG_CHG1vvQOTXkodbKkLmqlwvqQBsgQAdTwdu9SE510YSd3Pv1xKSAg0G74/s6000/JAN_6402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVz63rxlG9ciUXetOzMM-K80azUNmlTUTVOgc1_yMdO75H0wEhnH3A_OhLoR8hIUgLpLr6K98anvyC0mnzwJoN3ntCB6-4vdrSWfz7xRItF9puXN7VTypGtD5-eB9FeXqdG_CHG1vvQOTXkodbKkLmqlwvqQBsgQAdTwdu9SE510YSd3Pv1xKSAg0G74/w426-h640/JAN_6402.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiderweb and Stiff Goldenrod at Munson Cemetery Prairie near Cambridge</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_RAzYLVHOulth4VOmeFwmIgmxyF5PakX_QEovPIGElcc0wI-6iUZy2Z6gS5lCh2wspxff3kuTqVAVPF04roJjpolM7gP5JyrwrYvUFCIKpp8VC82qlUwlEs413NcAGgkPXVjhERnRkLjycACUFyc6Sqj3Yry6MYlxWgUNdapjDYWCHqbohHkAhmKhwk/s6000/JAN_7578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_RAzYLVHOulth4VOmeFwmIgmxyF5PakX_QEovPIGElcc0wI-6iUZy2Z6gS5lCh2wspxff3kuTqVAVPF04roJjpolM7gP5JyrwrYvUFCIKpp8VC82qlUwlEs413NcAGgkPXVjhERnRkLjycACUFyc6Sqj3Yry6MYlxWgUNdapjDYWCHqbohHkAhmKhwk/w640-h426/JAN_7578.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Formations at Nachusa Grasslands -- Stone Barn Savanna</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibKAavI1Dl3ebzzKYdf1m-3smbK0f9eeE6unL4wggyKmjlTPUpLaodL3AjygLYRgl5NE741gP2t_DGx7GOb1FlsvjYaK5Op287HHZA8XWI9ZRyeN0PE5nhtNsftHb5pRSc0UuZbheVJrHrTtxJaujQ7Xx0UbFGBkWjUMj45zRU4z7xwnXr-iHEt1vZ80/s6000/JAN_7680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibKAavI1Dl3ebzzKYdf1m-3smbK0f9eeE6unL4wggyKmjlTPUpLaodL3AjygLYRgl5NE741gP2t_DGx7GOb1FlsvjYaK5Op287HHZA8XWI9ZRyeN0PE5nhtNsftHb5pRSc0UuZbheVJrHrTtxJaujQ7Xx0UbFGBkWjUMj45zRU4z7xwnXr-iHEt1vZ80/w640-h426/JAN_7680.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oaks at Mount Bloom Cemetery near Tiskilwa<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></div><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br /><o:p><br /></o:p></span><p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-83783854133199351322023-08-27T07:39:00.001-07:002023-08-27T07:39:53.444-07:00Rocky Mountain High<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ3xD7W5eDJ1Z8W0V5zsG2p5kKgCO9oA8GnA-OT3LxvhmqpmjB9aAXg8J-L2becHzR58EE5kAQOLvYjUA5Fk4ElOzq8nNDidIkHbnbb5IwJ2iklBvgl_p7IZTthk9EiejVf-R41ir0O68dUZmtw6k1hv_1BJRTJgUDewr3fL4b2_SLOvuVgVuXTr1qOw/s6000/JAN_4984.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQ3xD7W5eDJ1Z8W0V5zsG2p5kKgCO9oA8GnA-OT3LxvhmqpmjB9aAXg8J-L2becHzR58EE5kAQOLvYjUA5Fk4ElOzq8nNDidIkHbnbb5IwJ2iklBvgl_p7IZTthk9EiejVf-R41ir0O68dUZmtw6k1hv_1BJRTJgUDewr3fL4b2_SLOvuVgVuXTr1qOw/w640-h426/JAN_4984.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Lily Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><br />My family recently visited Colorado for our family vacation.
It had been several years since I had visited the Rocky Mountains, and I was
excited to see them again. Of course, the mountains themselves are quite
spectacular, but all the mountain lakes, streams, canyons, waterfalls, and
other scenery are cool as well. However, the living aspects—plants and
wildlife—are their own draw. We were fortunate to see several wildlife species,
and the increased rainfall this summer made wildflowers abundant and gorgeous.
I snapped multiple shots of them throughout our time in Colorado and on the way
home in Nebraska. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0RRfFYGIVuL32YXBt_-OD7WogKgHGqxn7FL9J7X-YMeJS3r0F4d3lUshi8Hb8aoJ59uzqmsUjJmX83rokHcy-lrIZg6GPbi7EUGWogfNDbBXfnrsMOgU3cS_E-7kVuUPJdxaKDJNKWRRO1hZOh6xS-3sGkydvH2E17MyKbbvHfWvwKvU2uWdtBvALnA/s6000/JAN_5018.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0RRfFYGIVuL32YXBt_-OD7WogKgHGqxn7FL9J7X-YMeJS3r0F4d3lUshi8Hb8aoJ59uzqmsUjJmX83rokHcy-lrIZg6GPbi7EUGWogfNDbBXfnrsMOgU3cS_E-7kVuUPJdxaKDJNKWRRO1hZOh6xS-3sGkydvH2E17MyKbbvHfWvwKvU2uWdtBvALnA/w400-h266/JAN_5018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Lake</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We spent two days exploring Rocky Mountain National Park and
could have easily spent more time there. We enjoyed hikes around Lily Lake and
Bear Lake, plus other areas on the first day, then took the Old Fall River Road
and Trail Ridge Road the second day with multiple stops along both routes. Since
this is such a popular park, planning ahead to make sure you have reservations
and timed entries when needed is essential. Driving through Big Thompson Canyon
was another treat. I’m in awe of the beautiful rock formations along this route.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpOT_9CAwHzIXT6Bl2FgudknT8mcuFtvgiMp9PTg-4-2VMQURRe1gf4c11JOBHdQtHM278bpdupucecKxeWIUvZyguKVgDvOdW_PD3F0uhlywVs72sEk1vkFyKZANquQgS-VqHKcv7VqaY-naXcv3tp3FlFUDNygINS3CMtqAdBei1R732aLuZua0K4I/s6000/JAN_5043.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpOT_9CAwHzIXT6Bl2FgudknT8mcuFtvgiMp9PTg-4-2VMQURRe1gf4c11JOBHdQtHM278bpdupucecKxeWIUvZyguKVgDvOdW_PD3F0uhlywVs72sEk1vkFyKZANquQgS-VqHKcv7VqaY-naXcv3tp3FlFUDNygINS3CMtqAdBei1R732aLuZua0K4I/w400-h266/JAN_5043.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver Meadows</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">We decided to visit Eldorado Canyon State Park the next day. To quote my daughter’s friend who was travelling with us for two days, “you don’t have to work for this scenery.” It was right there in front of us. After a bumpy drive through the tiny town leading up to the park entrance, we were beginning to wonder if the park would be worth the trip. But gorgeous red rock formations greeted us as soon as we entered the park. All we had to do was park and walk along the road to see stunning views of the mountain stream and canyon walls.</span></div></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white;">It seems like busy schedules and not enough time and money are always roadblocks to longer and more frequent travels even if we don’t actually run into actual roadblocks while on vacations. But we enjoy travelling when we can and are always looking ahead to the next adventure!</span></span></div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8my7YMjIzVmIrFoMD1qGppX4lrCVOpQq_M9FPt6r2KFqSn8cKDdVRojco8_ekoFbJ96MbCpN90KU-lb0JHgw3eoUKsL_Rhvh0yjkLrP7rnWcbjmVwRnr4g1WptRQlECvIpMsdUbls9wxVG4UU_s8sXz6DGH8-SPQTUYyqaeW3LDkeJNCywDkYNmuwRs/s5578/JAN_5099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3718" data-original-width="5578" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY8my7YMjIzVmIrFoMD1qGppX4lrCVOpQq_M9FPt6r2KFqSn8cKDdVRojco8_ekoFbJ96MbCpN90KU-lb0JHgw3eoUKsL_Rhvh0yjkLrP7rnWcbjmVwRnr4g1WptRQlECvIpMsdUbls9wxVG4UU_s8sXz6DGH8-SPQTUYyqaeW3LDkeJNCywDkYNmuwRs/w400-h266/JAN_5099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine Wildflowers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mx7gEUNd1X4sMxAmNLlR7ctBnjOKc__7VfuoeLHl_GWFEgbP3eUvtYWFWXLKWmllux10_PXinIIqvrkX_kADonc3eKIxK4RvVHr8psDeT1-Rq3uwwW8h61fZ0zdUD-aKxE6aUNsv38wqjSj5l6v2rHsLb89D7vds21RthF4rVI0Xh99TdlCv6QCX3ZI/s6000/JAN_5241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mx7gEUNd1X4sMxAmNLlR7ctBnjOKc__7VfuoeLHl_GWFEgbP3eUvtYWFWXLKWmllux10_PXinIIqvrkX_kADonc3eKIxK4RvVHr8psDeT1-Rq3uwwW8h61fZ0zdUD-aKxE6aUNsv38wqjSj5l6v2rHsLb89D7vds21RthF4rVI0Xh99TdlCv6QCX3ZI/w400-h266/JAN_5241.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimney Rock</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5Kk4N_mIojAIuSzjzguvXnptIxs7ywFve5aZ07q6WZ6AFIYY1f0mcJ6AyZ-7SiEVkNGHoT84EuqfqYNavyiGz0vSxdMtdEVeZ73BCbNYyoLVUrj5DNzjSFGsP41W1TOO1VWbXrrDsubhxOgP1VDkL_b6yu0y-Eq5kxVFRtYjyT0BMapx1cqeMYVztKc/s6000/JAN_5140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5Kk4N_mIojAIuSzjzguvXnptIxs7ywFve5aZ07q6WZ6AFIYY1f0mcJ6AyZ-7SiEVkNGHoT84EuqfqYNavyiGz0vSxdMtdEVeZ73BCbNYyoLVUrj5DNzjSFGsP41W1TOO1VWbXrrDsubhxOgP1VDkL_b6yu0y-Eq5kxVFRtYjyT0BMapx1cqeMYVztKc/w400-h266/JAN_5140.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eldorado State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibL62mOT7bOBzkLt6DHjbvfH6n7jRPsxs0ipcR4WE_TR6AzEISyoYZu4QccPs0trNSzebI4zGf9cN0ref_EC2YBzHEnVC6Cni4_w4P0CaPB6OVnprzn3RCJ0Kh9zB4cC64yqgUgIHjRxLS9R_IfS90zcie4ps-TSW7EHZDV9nIF5eBiBJwEbs28O7Qjs/s6000/JAN_5152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibL62mOT7bOBzkLt6DHjbvfH6n7jRPsxs0ipcR4WE_TR6AzEISyoYZu4QccPs0trNSzebI4zGf9cN0ref_EC2YBzHEnVC6Cni4_w4P0CaPB6OVnprzn3RCJ0Kh9zB4cC64yqgUgIHjRxLS9R_IfS90zcie4ps-TSW7EHZDV9nIF5eBiBJwEbs28O7Qjs/w266-h400/JAN_5152.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eldorado State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKztHHgYYglCuLv1_5h8DMJsqbZYm_Fb2ELDFTkH2tq_WQLUWvhH6XJiKQ1izeXDo75J5_MN9AEV05dD5DZvF_caO1CzNh0FXVhLFdTR-xz8-4KSLHu8NQhfIEVoH11Zn6DzVBiSh3Oq_S43iqntSo-Bh1kSysLnURH5IqQr-M0kzaZUS17jOhuLd6A4/s6000/JAN_5204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiKztHHgYYglCuLv1_5h8DMJsqbZYm_Fb2ELDFTkH2tq_WQLUWvhH6XJiKQ1izeXDo75J5_MN9AEV05dD5DZvF_caO1CzNh0FXVhLFdTR-xz8-4KSLHu8NQhfIEVoH11Zn6DzVBiSh3Oq_S43iqntSo-Bh1kSysLnURH5IqQr-M0kzaZUS17jOhuLd6A4/w400-h266/JAN_5204.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scotts Bluff National Monmument </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eleQd1yZhzvcizPNbAOOS3hyxh31nayLOqB6xMM5DUspPcunl6InEE-_3ZOhQn7s3cJnClweWfNiNqYcnXXgKbDvTHWjYsiExgScwvZwBYWyMziWmQ1tGJQsOEqDDgSVzW_1Gyv5klsafwHB3H4cwqFc-B0WYTnLHPahgPTf-EzjllHoxKOPhmPcYTY/s6000/JAN_5214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eleQd1yZhzvcizPNbAOOS3hyxh31nayLOqB6xMM5DUspPcunl6InEE-_3ZOhQn7s3cJnClweWfNiNqYcnXXgKbDvTHWjYsiExgScwvZwBYWyMziWmQ1tGJQsOEqDDgSVzW_1Gyv5klsafwHB3H4cwqFc-B0WYTnLHPahgPTf-EzjllHoxKOPhmPcYTY/w400-h266/JAN_5214.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scotts Bluff National Monument</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4J2SOJApvTcwwJpVDWgcLZfcBaoKmAS8vqBjyHmhDw0YdR84q9kadBbnQs3XbsBoUMDl4CHW_vAw3PzAWHpda52c6HxWsxirVXyytVNSmfIAGCaydUC4BDOsCiAY2yo2p-5TmNnC1XTWABhnBAsxc5FAuPGU1cj9QeP7OMl-kXxBMO4yDMQOvTcWOCA/s6000/JAN_5229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4J2SOJApvTcwwJpVDWgcLZfcBaoKmAS8vqBjyHmhDw0YdR84q9kadBbnQs3XbsBoUMDl4CHW_vAw3PzAWHpda52c6HxWsxirVXyytVNSmfIAGCaydUC4BDOsCiAY2yo2p-5TmNnC1XTWABhnBAsxc5FAuPGU1cj9QeP7OMl-kXxBMO4yDMQOvTcWOCA/w400-h266/JAN_5229.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scotts Bluff National Monument</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCYCzE6cgLZ1-9uxo8BNFGkKP5WZf99dHMhFGTBhD1k4H-1EP2KJTo8XuYqUcwLcT44BvryZLdVjGZXYv9p4WhI-0b_XKL8cZ_isauJm2dXVPIWckaer5mi8yb-UhTqNN9AuhMVcnSUII8p91VpuwMulNQcSaVfn7m68epZLkFuLEvDTI7Psysb7rm20/s6000/JAN_5234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCYCzE6cgLZ1-9uxo8BNFGkKP5WZf99dHMhFGTBhD1k4H-1EP2KJTo8XuYqUcwLcT44BvryZLdVjGZXYv9p4WhI-0b_XKL8cZ_isauJm2dXVPIWckaer5mi8yb-UhTqNN9AuhMVcnSUII8p91VpuwMulNQcSaVfn7m68epZLkFuLEvDTI7Psysb7rm20/w400-h266/JAN_5234.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chimney Rock National Historic Site</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><div><h2 style="background: white;"><br /></h2><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-72178782965299033892023-05-15T09:56:00.000-07:002023-05-15T09:56:38.716-07:00Enjoying those Early Bloomers<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6AadRoTO-tQJjOQ8lrhYWVqSaR5Kh3I0rh1Cezuga3rjRE2BtkxTzbhUNIG-NZTuQgCsVZdQbHgBpYjjtHy6QmIGNeiCpe65EDZTB8RqEcl2ssateUSFPRk9wW8MAC8KJotDap4GKDrLmPrJww0kkuBiGoCKYLxfYXmqsIYeUs34Y26y19xpeheK/s6000/Downy%20Yellow%20Painted%20Cup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6AadRoTO-tQJjOQ8lrhYWVqSaR5Kh3I0rh1Cezuga3rjRE2BtkxTzbhUNIG-NZTuQgCsVZdQbHgBpYjjtHy6QmIGNeiCpe65EDZTB8RqEcl2ssateUSFPRk9wW8MAC8KJotDap4GKDrLmPrJww0kkuBiGoCKYLxfYXmqsIYeUs34Y26y19xpeheK/w640-h426/Downy%20Yellow%20Painted%20Cup.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood Betony</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I recently had the opportunity to visit Nachusa Grasslands,
located east of Dixon. This Nature Conservancy area has been on my bucket list
for quite some time. It was an amazing place to visit, with its beautifully restored
remnant prairies, along with a wetland and savanna, not to mention bison
grazing on the prairies. Normally at this time of year I am still snooping
around in the woodlands looking for spring ephemerals, but now I am also
starting to venture into the prairie to see some early bloomers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxccOII6MNMfrU5ElTFqZAmqY3ylu-4IkgvGSnO39xeE510B11ak76iyI46nN90grsXrdAWE9QGihMxtx9_sTjBNJtalZpw67MgNf9WYu2mJDQ56Razu6h6_lr8Z6alAhFb6oddStM8zPeVjcRLVHcKV2UP0WMw-lbuo1PERJjp0EENDt_0bQo75O/s6000/Wild%20Lupine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6000" data-original-width="4000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxccOII6MNMfrU5ElTFqZAmqY3ylu-4IkgvGSnO39xeE510B11ak76iyI46nN90grsXrdAWE9QGihMxtx9_sTjBNJtalZpw67MgNf9WYu2mJDQ56Razu6h6_lr8Z6alAhFb6oddStM8zPeVjcRLVHcKV2UP0WMw-lbuo1PERJjp0EENDt_0bQo75O/w266-h400/Wild%20Lupine.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Lupine</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Many of the seed mixes we prescribe through our office for
the Conservation Reserve Program and found in other restored prairies contain
more common species and not many early blooming species. The mixes usually consist
of summer forbs and later summer grass species. Even though mixes are starting
to get more diverse—especially for the pollinator mixes—seeing the rarer early
bloomers is a special treat for me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #222222;">It takes less than an hour to reach Nachusa from my house,
so I know I will be visiting again. Since I had not taken time to do much
research online before I left, I missed seeing many of the natural areas on
this more than 4,000 acre site. However, what I did see impressed me, with one
of the highlights, seeing six “new-to-me” wildflower species. I wandered around
the prairie at the Visitor Center, an open air display area, looking at the spring
species popping up in the recently burned acreage. Shooting Stars, Blue-eyed
Grass, Wild Lupine, Golden Alexander, Violet Wood Sorrel, Wood Betony,
Arrow-Leaved Violet, Kittentails, and Pussytoes were some beautiful and
interesting wildflowers in bloom. Because the area had been freshly burned,
these low to the ground forbs were easy to spot.</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Once done with that portion, I turned to the north and ventured closer to where the bison were grazing and walking near the pond. Even from the distance I could watch them lumber around, graceful in their gait for such large bovines, and I could hear their sounds. Even though I have seen bison before in parks out west, it was a delight to see them in a natural setting in our Prairie State.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPtSiIrPT0RR8m4ORNrJf7yT2raIRgTiauVBLOy9TQwzHWGH0r_KemRt-28sl5_4Fe19ppBatpz0D9a2_RhSAt_oIpHyVx5XLypWywH8JZomL3GWwSAb3-CgVdna1IBWk_vTz8uLdzqU2oei-E_-bsClUhKptnDF3hNFSqDhPzM2ovFinm1Ppe94a/s5522/Violet%20Wood%20Sorrel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3681" data-original-width="5522" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPtSiIrPT0RR8m4ORNrJf7yT2raIRgTiauVBLOy9TQwzHWGH0r_KemRt-28sl5_4Fe19ppBatpz0D9a2_RhSAt_oIpHyVx5XLypWywH8JZomL3GWwSAb3-CgVdna1IBWk_vTz8uLdzqU2oei-E_-bsClUhKptnDF3hNFSqDhPzM2ovFinm1Ppe94a/w640-h426/Violet%20Wood%20Sorrel.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Violet Wood Sorrel</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggujQr3e_NeNmZqcQhPtSDxlSrk1NszV64BZx9u8tLQt4nALTm_E3hgN_-E62JXW72-VGue5HdJ42uTMHwmSNsJbd800a924cz9UiGEYWpJksCGLLepNkoGJHslZ8cmBdIM4vx0WsSmN3sdDj8ti5AsIG33MN0JO2I-TintBjeq_O51qL8X72VK_L5/s3827/Pussyetoes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3827" data-original-width="2551" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggujQr3e_NeNmZqcQhPtSDxlSrk1NszV64BZx9u8tLQt4nALTm_E3hgN_-E62JXW72-VGue5HdJ42uTMHwmSNsJbd800a924cz9UiGEYWpJksCGLLepNkoGJHslZ8cmBdIM4vx0WsSmN3sdDj8ti5AsIG33MN0JO2I-TintBjeq_O51qL8X72VK_L5/w266-h400/Pussyetoes.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pussy Toes</td></tr></tbody></table>Once I’d seen some of the prairie, I ventured into the
savanna area. Even though I thought I knew what to expect, it was much more
than that. Having over a hundred acres to myself as I wandered along the trail
and jumping off trail for a few photo opportunities, I was mesmerized not only
by the plants I saw, but also by the plants I didn’t see. There were no maple
trees choking out the oaks and hickories and no garlic mustard plants choking
out the native wildflowers. It felt strange to see the same Shooting Stars I’d
seen in the open prairie growing in a more shaded and wooded area. It also felt
odd to see Mayapples, Wild Geraniums, and other woodland species growing in
full sun. I loved the overall peaceful atmosphere of the more open woodland.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj929P6PSRNh_4ZPmYOseCNRs8UBAYVVBqhwuHSDYuzJ2wPra9-eccmZHR-WRijHpA_p-WDJb2SJoOeaTyC1CoM5hK9XzL1ZJimM0NeMAgYRtLKSCJDmA3TMwMpeHX86GC7w11vtnrnZ3muorEIeVVSUunw4jYjUQFdbPvj7YintWOXIHR7m44m2HeQ/s5531/Shooting%20Star.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5531" data-original-width="3688" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj929P6PSRNh_4ZPmYOseCNRs8UBAYVVBqhwuHSDYuzJ2wPra9-eccmZHR-WRijHpA_p-WDJb2SJoOeaTyC1CoM5hK9XzL1ZJimM0NeMAgYRtLKSCJDmA3TMwMpeHX86GC7w11vtnrnZ3muorEIeVVSUunw4jYjUQFdbPvj7YintWOXIHR7m44m2HeQ/w266-h400/Shooting%20Star.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shooting Star</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I thought it was interesting to see a large culvert that
acted as a travel tunnel underneath the road for bison to use when crossing
from a north pasture to one to the south. I plan to revisit Nachusa to hike the
wetland loop near the savanna loop. There are also hundreds of other prairie
acres to explore to the north. Maybe they contain the same species I experienced
near the visitor center, but I’m guessing there are many more. Since there are
a total of more than 700 plant species on the Nachusa site, there is definitely
another adventure or two waiting to happen in my future. I encourage you to
visit this area to view plants and animals we don’t normally have a chance to
see in a natural setting that more closely resembles Illinois in the past,
before our rich prairie soils were converted to other uses. They don’t call
Illinois the Prairie State for nothing. <o:p></o:p></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbpiqAk-SJrlsg4j7zoqI_aa6oczgfUHYewpgcbwM9BIH_mIc3YsaEWvZU9jW8Hb9Q2NuekOEGQMQPy0viVnWmJ2Un0rAFxw1nu5eA89SnxWFM_t7Oewu2Y9mnR1mHN33xRJKWIMANece6xAPy5dgZOTzmNlhtfte3gPRUi1kwhS1XhWZjlK7o-_g/s5670/Shagbark%20Arbor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="5670" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbpiqAk-SJrlsg4j7zoqI_aa6oczgfUHYewpgcbwM9BIH_mIc3YsaEWvZU9jW8Hb9Q2NuekOEGQMQPy0viVnWmJ2Un0rAFxw1nu5eA89SnxWFM_t7Oewu2Y9mnR1mHN33xRJKWIMANece6xAPy5dgZOTzmNlhtfte3gPRUi1kwhS1XhWZjlK7o-_g/w640-h426/Shagbark%20Arbor.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shagbark Hickory</td></tr></tbody></table></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-56714014367142971712023-05-06T09:58:00.008-07:002023-05-07T13:08:37.056-07:00Friendships Across the Miles and Over the Decades<p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsvjeC9ji56xnUuh-kodM5LkZ8GirNSm0BleRVGKQdWOqFiAIzuczwMCb4cswSPYB-k6Z2vQSfXZ7F_T0WKitMn5gIu7W4ufUNA4_38_b1hQDSDBmyOMHY9uVHAjr4fBLsDn3LBxFqE1Kc2xj-4rMNhYvdUGhWdSgaL3pQK_fRXvVfuCNzGh_p9Bq/s2400/03182023%20April%20Showers_SLarge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsvjeC9ji56xnUuh-kodM5LkZ8GirNSm0BleRVGKQdWOqFiAIzuczwMCb4cswSPYB-k6Z2vQSfXZ7F_T0WKitMn5gIu7W4ufUNA4_38_b1hQDSDBmyOMHY9uVHAjr4fBLsDn3LBxFqE1Kc2xj-4rMNhYvdUGhWdSgaL3pQK_fRXvVfuCNzGh_p9Bq/w250-h400/03182023%20April%20Showers_SLarge.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">April was a
wonderful whirlwind of activity for me. Not only is it a busy time at work and home,
but the release of the eighth book in the Nature Station Mystery Series, <i>April
Showers</i>, made for an even busier month. However, I enjoyed every minute of it!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">I normally schedule
one book event per month, sometimes two, but rarely three! April kicked off
with the Bishop Hill Book Fair on April 1</span><sup style="text-indent: 0.5in;">st</sup><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">. Not only was I an
author participating in this event, but I was one of the organizers. Severe storms
rolled through the night before, making last minute preparations a little
tricky, as we made trips to the basement, and electricity flickered. As I drove to Bishop Hill in the strong winds, cool temperatures,
and various forms of precipitation, looking at the devastation the storms had
caused, I wondered how the turnout would be. Fortunately, book lovers don’t
seem to mind venturing out in the elements to chat with local authors. I
enjoyed not only networking with some of my favorite author friends, but also visiting
with the loyal friends and family who stopped by to say hello and show their
support and made new many new acquaintances as well. </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-indent: 0.5in;">The next event was
a much warmer and sunnier day and was held at the Wordsmith Bookshoppe in Galesburg.
I’d spent the morning baking for Easter, so I had to “book it” to make it to
Galesburg in time. Luckily the owner, Teri, had everything set up, and I
breezed in and had a great afternoon chatting with past teachers, co-workers, dear
friends of the family, local author friends, and others. It was a fun and rewarding
afternoon. Teri is so supportive of local authors and does a wonderful job with
her customers as well. </span></p><p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-gMhbas0rTvnfcIhcBaK-_ASdlB0Pi47lZwB7r5Cf9xuiq0h_JS57gayqUWJl9Rmr0gS6yN2IGA4kCKyxusioc64K94oe4zy6TXkdoZoxD9EW5T9WioH9_HlGGXfTujwqbwWj_X00wbt8XV75-PYK-O_dDGEIN2GCvqwMDZ_Tr0kjIeLZzbiVELy/s6000/KEN_1861.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-gMhbas0rTvnfcIhcBaK-_ASdlB0Pi47lZwB7r5Cf9xuiq0h_JS57gayqUWJl9Rmr0gS6yN2IGA4kCKyxusioc64K94oe4zy6TXkdoZoxD9EW5T9WioH9_HlGGXfTujwqbwWj_X00wbt8XV75-PYK-O_dDGEIN2GCvqwMDZ_Tr0kjIeLZzbiVELy/w400-h266/KEN_1861.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My third event was held at Peck Farm Park in Geneva, a park district property. This
was an Earth Day celebration and one that is well attended. The rain, sleet,
snow, grappa, ice, and other precipitation forms may have prevented some people
from attending, but I enjoyed visiting with those who stopped by to chat and to
purchase books. I read aloud from “Rachel and Sammy Visit the Prairie,” since
this property boasts a beautifully restored prairie, in addition to original
outbuildings and an Italianate style house. I brought along an order of Rachel
and Sammy books that will be stocked at the park’s gift shop.<br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A4KNdzGaFmDutV8ZF766m1obC7yMwbcDUZ_K0JpL3uFtH9LU18_avd1lwwuIPvdJT8J64vKm8Q8gD9hT8Dt8cxQ1iWaQCZ5Xot-Ssu3QK3HIbF-bOMSpj2TJ_YqX956cc-WqsN6i-1rdvLaCeFAOd2VlexnBD3Jj_Lrq0QiPbmeLGuLWMTX_qtWh/s5266/KEN_1871.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3510" data-original-width="5266" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A4KNdzGaFmDutV8ZF766m1obC7yMwbcDUZ_K0JpL3uFtH9LU18_avd1lwwuIPvdJT8J64vKm8Q8gD9hT8Dt8cxQ1iWaQCZ5Xot-Ssu3QK3HIbF-bOMSpj2TJ_YqX956cc-WqsN6i-1rdvLaCeFAOd2VlexnBD3Jj_Lrq0QiPbmeLGuLWMTX_qtWh/w640-h426/KEN_1871.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-indent: 48px;">While all that was wonderful, it was the meetups that took place that day that really made things shine. The night before I received a message from my college suite-mate, Heidi, telling me she lived within walking distance of the venue. She came to visit while I was setting up, and it was great to see her after several years. I had already arranged to meet my mom’s cousin, Mary, afterwards for a late lunch. Mary arrived in time to help me pack up my goods. It was fun to catch up with Mary and her husband while she showed me some local sites, and we ate a delicious lunch together.</span></div><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqA1648YwopL_C5Zxr7AA6SRUpp6mxyFvuwezqmFRbsNMVXWC9Sw4eWW_XuK29J0mbhvowaOxwoL5QilT1kFV-UJco4d2D_DE67o6Y73lx594C0MuaWmudG65mUX11HHNhicPnIQhUpIW4NwwyrGIctu8ZnFqlzIt53qHpmy7iZm-91RTY362-EG4/s6000/KEN_1881.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqA1648YwopL_C5Zxr7AA6SRUpp6mxyFvuwezqmFRbsNMVXWC9Sw4eWW_XuK29J0mbhvowaOxwoL5QilT1kFV-UJco4d2D_DE67o6Y73lx594C0MuaWmudG65mUX11HHNhicPnIQhUpIW4NwwyrGIctu8ZnFqlzIt53qHpmy7iZm-91RTY362-EG4/w400-h266/KEN_1881.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Earlier that
morning I had discovered that my friend, Matteo, from Italy was visiting his brother and
family in Chicago. It didn’t work out to meet that day, but even better, we
made arrangements to meet a few days later. We spent a fun day of hiking at Matthiessen
and Starved Rock State Parks and catching up on thirty years of news. We had originally met at an environmental work camp in East Germany in 1990. Later
that week I heard from a mutual friend from that same camp, who lives in Denmark. Pia and I had a great conversation--sharing
photos and catching up on our daily lives. Ah, the wonders of technology that
allow us to stay in touch across the miles. I have been blessed to be able to visit both my friends in their respective countries,</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> as well as when they have visited the U.S. </span></span></p><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40frjE1eB51Z7hSVQx4qWx0ZRvIuvulEy_cOiBscMcbjVjGbzzu_HqTsbinDuRJQ0pC-x4U-wLUGgdbyyi0BPQlP49-PVqXYW7RJ2EkgVrUCPvjES0w69Ro5IXeTb9PpUL-Kw97VrEDXlT7qlAkLr0x9MsaoXvlTvregGF3foImckfEvDFHltvIzI/s5325/KEN_1882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3549" data-original-width="5325" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40frjE1eB51Z7hSVQx4qWx0ZRvIuvulEy_cOiBscMcbjVjGbzzu_HqTsbinDuRJQ0pC-x4U-wLUGgdbyyi0BPQlP49-PVqXYW7RJ2EkgVrUCPvjES0w69Ro5IXeTb9PpUL-Kw97VrEDXlT7qlAkLr0x9MsaoXvlTvregGF3foImckfEvDFHltvIzI/w400-h266/KEN_1882.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I also enjoyed chatting with shop owners when delivering my new releases in April. I have been doing business with some of them since my first book was published in 2010. With all these wonderful
social interactions throughout the month we promised to stay in touch and meet
up down the road. These are not empty promises on my part. My circle of friends
is not huge, but it is long-lasting and loyal. While I am not always in the
mood to be social, book events are the exception. Some authors prefer to bypass
local events, but I always enjoy them. What perfect opportunities not only to
showcase my work, but to also strengthen existing relationships and form new ones. </span></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The world is a big and scary place, but it is smaller and friendlier when you know there are people who are there for you—across the miles and throughout the decades.<br /></span></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTUQmzUjHwHaBcMmKkGajSDZBFfDRyJx34fzD-ISawREcVcRSilzN-4CqlEDciTpDUsyOiEz0z7_rgJME7bUqOyftYNrlUU8RpUIV9doWseHmGqajIPIru5NY9muXi7JP055qdp58JeMFeUMN-ToyCU-I1z1dL363s-facCcaD7amHh2NKd7urA9u/s6000/KEN_1884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTUQmzUjHwHaBcMmKkGajSDZBFfDRyJx34fzD-ISawREcVcRSilzN-4CqlEDciTpDUsyOiEz0z7_rgJME7bUqOyftYNrlUU8RpUIV9doWseHmGqajIPIru5NY9muXi7JP055qdp58JeMFeUMN-ToyCU-I1z1dL363s-facCcaD7amHh2NKd7urA9u/w640-h426/KEN_1884.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">Pictures taken at Matthiessen State Park</span></i></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-76644942683591886342023-03-21T12:00:00.003-07:002023-03-21T12:00:54.797-07:00<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCpaGkItAGTH3I4Y8mdM9mnxu_gwNeBmqPy2_t6pxITO9Av4kdOal1HEO_EbP2LIF9B10I7lv4sPtfBQAfjFDLWhBZ-CijA67sqhOFxnu85lMZe9URSugkckGIiLJx11ySarPgPz43T784TCihG-GR3ki4TMlogJvgFP26Plv2TQqvuE8njl5kL7s/s2560/03182023%20April%20Showers_Epub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCpaGkItAGTH3I4Y8mdM9mnxu_gwNeBmqPy2_t6pxITO9Av4kdOal1HEO_EbP2LIF9B10I7lv4sPtfBQAfjFDLWhBZ-CijA67sqhOFxnu85lMZe9URSugkckGIiLJx11ySarPgPz43T784TCihG-GR3ki4TMlogJvgFP26Plv2TQqvuE8njl5kL7s/w400-h640/03182023%20April%20Showers_Epub.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Just in time for Spring, Eklund Publishing recently released </span><i style="color: #0f1111;">April Showers</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">, the eighth book in the Nature Station Mystery Series by Jannifer Powelson. </span></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Kristen Stevenson, owner of the
Nature Station, is excited to welcome her first guests to the Nature Station’s
newest addition—the recently renovated Corncrib. The new living quarters are
shipshape, but once guests arrive for a weekend retreat, things begin to go awry—and
in a big way when a body is found after dinner the first night. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When Kristen and her friends start showering
retreat guests with questions to determine if one of them is the culprit, they
discover more than they bargain for. Is the murderer one of the guests or
someone much closer to home? As Kristen tiptoes through beautiful spring
woodland wildflowers during a peaceful April shower, will she come face to face
with a vicious murderer?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;">The author will officially be launching this newest release at upcoming events.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;"><i>Saturday, April 1st - Bishop Hill Book Fair - 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. - Creative Commons</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;"><i>Saturday, April 8th - Wordsmith Bookshoppe - 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Galesburg</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;">Copies of this book are available, along with Powelson’s other titles, online and from several local retailers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;">Print ISBN: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 13px;">979-8-374194-5-24</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;">Print Edition: $11.95 </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: helvetica;">Kindle: $4.99</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/April-Showers-Jannifer-Powelson/dp/B0BXN7DYC7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1BUAW22BBXDB5&keywords=jannifer+powelson&qid=1679424625&sprefix=jannifer+powels%2Caps%2C527&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Purchase from Amazon</a><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2UU1MZuzmcL1NRshcvqbj39ORGMaDztHm04s7wWfMIe2eD-CdQHel4_18XC1glffEKKrmwv0XxTBFar7P-bPQO6ef3MyNQPPsUUCd7WmuMfZ87mlUL_krjLuwU4xyjI9lbgBXgGI5MKOH7ZJWjjtg36-NMhnfZE22bGt2EgO6-Dhtse-soXgBk_o/s397/Eklund%20publishing%20logo-%20Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="397" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2UU1MZuzmcL1NRshcvqbj39ORGMaDztHm04s7wWfMIe2eD-CdQHel4_18XC1glffEKKrmwv0XxTBFar7P-bPQO6ef3MyNQPPsUUCd7WmuMfZ87mlUL_krjLuwU4xyjI9lbgBXgGI5MKOH7ZJWjjtg36-NMhnfZE22bGt2EgO6-Dhtse-soXgBk_o/s320/Eklund%20publishing%20logo-%20Final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-42152375790584527562022-12-01T07:37:00.002-08:002022-12-08T07:48:18.360-08:00Superior Lake Scenery<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcbat0cGxUjWfWvi1TnadWK6JAm61yd19wwFjQaKgK1_byjmUnWIAjDaqoMSAAIcrKi_ZLlnjvyY0-yh8Y4XRLViWHQQNhM4Uz4X0F3-O5EPa77n48t1VRgIiP63PhCTGf76FJ_PFS9kXZeFDFcOZvsi2tXrbOfIG6QgO2oMufbYs8-9My7HYZrIW/s4608/DSC_0585%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwcbat0cGxUjWfWvi1TnadWK6JAm61yd19wwFjQaKgK1_byjmUnWIAjDaqoMSAAIcrKi_ZLlnjvyY0-yh8Y4XRLViWHQQNhM4Uz4X0F3-O5EPa77n48t1VRgIiP63PhCTGf76FJ_PFS9kXZeFDFcOZvsi2tXrbOfIG6QgO2oMufbYs8-9My7HYZrIW/w640-h426/DSC_0585%20(2).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrPckQ39BeMivmfwp6yQExyigDoAzftYwcOHvFoyzquI9KiWu4ynZosiByV2_Nej1T6ZNjegVdfRi7eB_G8kpnkt9dj8fNhVBsYXa7XXe-MvH2X6iEbc9dILpKCMuRr2UQ0QVljWoZbp233YSlnXkx_obF2owBQxZNzrdV6pceUKUv7Fi4LhREnsh/s4608/Split%20Rock%20LH.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrPckQ39BeMivmfwp6yQExyigDoAzftYwcOHvFoyzquI9KiWu4ynZosiByV2_Nej1T6ZNjegVdfRi7eB_G8kpnkt9dj8fNhVBsYXa7XXe-MvH2X6iEbc9dILpKCMuRr2UQ0QVljWoZbp233YSlnXkx_obF2owBQxZNzrdV6pceUKUv7Fi4LhREnsh/w266-h400/Split%20Rock%20LH.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>This fall I had the opportunity to visit one of my favorite
Great Lakes, Lake Superior. Even though I had been to this same area just a
couple of months earlier, I still enjoyed my time there just as much if not
more! Maybe the lake itself doesn’t change much during the transition from late
summer to early fall, but the surrounding scenery sure does. The rocky
shoreline of the Northern Shore in northeastern Minnesota is a great place to
see not only lake scenery but other amazing beauty as well. Surrounded by rocky
shorelines, beautiful trees and wildflowers, mountain creeks and waterfalls,
and let’s not forget the tiny mountains that seem pretty big to flatlander
Illinoisans, there’s something for everyone.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjkLbxTxRvmpfR2jxomoy1QNzz9e5Uk2l76JtQG5ECOUzLrCDUAzhGORw9VwGoC2jIcNzJL0tV8VcOBXFjllpz7jn9zwCb53dVGTfq42vRgxcv9kpqmQiJAqdo5NXv3FxoKHeVKwDp2XAmrQbdUvDwa4zXfbST7DVbRqEQ0MkEjQK3L3NifY6YxJx/s4608/SRLH%20MN.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjkLbxTxRvmpfR2jxomoy1QNzz9e5Uk2l76JtQG5ECOUzLrCDUAzhGORw9VwGoC2jIcNzJL0tV8VcOBXFjllpz7jn9zwCb53dVGTfq42vRgxcv9kpqmQiJAqdo5NXv3FxoKHeVKwDp2XAmrQbdUvDwa4zXfbST7DVbRqEQ0MkEjQK3L3NifY6YxJx/w400-h266/SRLH%20MN.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Sometimes you can even see all the above scenery in the same
state park or other natural area. One of our favorite parks, Gooseberry Falls
State Park, fits the bill. We start off by hiking to and around the set of
three waterfalls. Add the interesting conifer and deciduous trees that surround
the area, plus some interesting rock formations along the way, you stare in
wonder and wonder what else is around the bend. Following the misleading “lazy
river” (that had cascaded sharply over three sets of waterfalls<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ-iS29vJbi2bZ3EeI_BlQeIkL9QqAZwA8ii8anRlKufTuKOCr2TMD4MxemMq0JhDYA08-s4wYYfnOIlUChZjRw4uf-IVu5l4d6HuGHA7M2n-ljq8BwyhB5Y-MRp0LfRTvkriUM7qTz-B8cjAq-m2V1Kd5dI8WM3k3vOURG4iEpvoKRvblzTgYcAE/s4608/DSC_0572_01.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJ-iS29vJbi2bZ3EeI_BlQeIkL9QqAZwA8ii8anRlKufTuKOCr2TMD4MxemMq0JhDYA08-s4wYYfnOIlUChZjRw4uf-IVu5l4d6HuGHA7M2n-ljq8BwyhB5Y-MRp0LfRTvkriUM7qTz-B8cjAq-m2V1Kd5dI8WM3k3vOURG4iEpvoKRvblzTgYcAE/w400-h266/DSC_0572_01.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>just upstream
of this point) through the woods to the lake, where it flows to Lake Superior,
there are hundreds of beautiful photo opportunities. Once you reach the lake,
there are hundreds more. Walking along the flat, weather beaten rock sheets of
the shoreline is one thing. Then you walk a few hundred feet away, where the
rocks become jagged cliffs and see powerful and rugged beauty. We stopped for
several photos along the way, but for the best view, we walked to an area where
few people travel. They usually don’t venture beyond the picnic area, and I
can’t say that I blame them, as I was getting pretty hungry by this time. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c4tMFrUFwr_woZBgAl_YOjtbNHfABHmz8Im30vYDNw6ex82sdPvNs7J3mBjCU6fVgHf6bKhM6JiQFFlJF-xNhzlkFDm0l88B2L0KAf_OzDgH46xoq76pIPSCmBo3Wx4DnnGLcfKYxP34xlC1ciDjTCH08lhvtCM7zCbYorn8RcgIIDU8FD8RXTyo/s4608/Grand%20Portage%20SP.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6c4tMFrUFwr_woZBgAl_YOjtbNHfABHmz8Im30vYDNw6ex82sdPvNs7J3mBjCU6fVgHf6bKhM6JiQFFlJF-xNhzlkFDm0l88B2L0KAf_OzDgH46xoq76pIPSCmBo3Wx4DnnGLcfKYxP34xlC1ciDjTCH08lhvtCM7zCbYorn8RcgIIDU8FD8RXTyo/w266-h400/Grand%20Portage%20SP.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>Afterwards, we headed a few miles to the north to visit
Split Rock Lighthouse. Not only is this an interesting engineering and architectural
feat, especially without the historic and scenic Route 61 built at the time, but
it is a beautiful area. Perched atop a tall cliff, the lighthouse saved dozens
of ships from crashing into the majestic cliff and jagged shoreline, as many
ships before the house was built did. Hiking down the hill for amazing views
from the shoreline was almost as great as seeing the view of the water from the
lighthouse itself. The lighthouse, grounds, and other buildings are kept in
pristine condition, and this area is one of the state’s most popular tourist
attractions. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvsW1_Ggu01xRhiynSKK7WBGOuXgII0W5iySMT7BdqdLwv6ZIEvwvvj4phqPFitCpOgi3FQCCkKwwIErnNfJBzYnBC7nDyJFP8TMc9oMouRUvMUbkxL-2JY1K7z2AEQR1QO8nnKsPXQclaT9hAn8c8-1HiW3imSdceVryZ_rOMlCH9S6UZbRTZBh_/s4608/Grand%20Portage%20SP1.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvsW1_Ggu01xRhiynSKK7WBGOuXgII0W5iySMT7BdqdLwv6ZIEvwvvj4phqPFitCpOgi3FQCCkKwwIErnNfJBzYnBC7nDyJFP8TMc9oMouRUvMUbkxL-2JY1K7z2AEQR1QO8nnKsPXQclaT9hAn8c8-1HiW3imSdceVryZ_rOMlCH9S6UZbRTZBh_/w400-h266/Grand%20Portage%20SP1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We were feeling worn out after a full day of hiking along
beautiful but rugged terrain, but that didn’t stop us from doing the exact same
thing the next day. However, this time, we continued our journey further
north—to the Canada border. Stopping at whatever scenic pull off that struck
our fancy (and there are dozens of these roadside stops), we enjoyed views from
the Cliff Creek Tunnel and appreciated the fact that Route 61 used to run along
the cliff—in the very spot where we snapped dozens of pictures and soaked up
the view. I wouldn’t have wanted to look down in those days while driving, but
the scenery was spectacular.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>Our final northern destination was Grand Portage State Park.
Even though we’d seen beautiful waterfalls the day before (and this neck of the
woods is packed with them!) we still enjoyed the ones located here. We visited
both upper and lower falls—both amazing sights, then walked down to the river,
which by this time was much tamer and more tranquil. Between the rocky stream, hills
in the background, and fall foliage, this was another favorite stop.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLFUretxXrmcKHoOl-XAEg_zTudQKco5foxX4myChOK2ApfJMan9-Zp2gngrAGkUN66y-26uskAXcr0KcH9eGYwDcTjzsB7CzUKycxzqBin22fLtwqGAodpIxZN2uClDGNwSyDVjrBJncKuETM92Pr7t58ECZU1IipfObQAXGT9WqC54p_jfb4E5q/s4608/GBFSP.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLFUretxXrmcKHoOl-XAEg_zTudQKco5foxX4myChOK2ApfJMan9-Zp2gngrAGkUN66y-26uskAXcr0KcH9eGYwDcTjzsB7CzUKycxzqBin22fLtwqGAodpIxZN2uClDGNwSyDVjrBJncKuETM92Pr7t58ECZU1IipfObQAXGT9WqC54p_jfb4E5q/w400-h266/GBFSP.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>One of these days, I hope to spend more than a few days at a
time in this beautiful area, but for now, I enjoy the short trips we’ve taken
here. My husband even suggested planning a trip to see the Northern Lights in
this area this winter. I can’t wait to see not only the beautiful sights, but
hopefully the lights, as well. Sometimes I feel like the more I travel, the
more I want to travel. While there’s no place like home, there’s an entire world out there, waiting to be discovered.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oQ2ZjgjN3sfA_ZpHmxUaEYU9_ch3XFe9gu9hXCJ3cBphUlYaPqLCGGbdKXUwl2pAlbn03Il_vAX51MbF7Lmj6Lg4wvgbter-zW8Xhj_0miuBvIEha4x8OoSYF0VJg42dnfkzO6Ohe3IfngcWTxzdTh2dWqaEMXWeCSpqhom3tb7hDXGw36M85u3R/s4608/GBFSP1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oQ2ZjgjN3sfA_ZpHmxUaEYU9_ch3XFe9gu9hXCJ3cBphUlYaPqLCGGbdKXUwl2pAlbn03Il_vAX51MbF7Lmj6Lg4wvgbter-zW8Xhj_0miuBvIEha4x8OoSYF0VJg42dnfkzO6Ohe3IfngcWTxzdTh2dWqaEMXWeCSpqhom3tb7hDXGw36M85u3R/w640-h426/GBFSP1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-67035127549448011052022-12-01T07:26:00.003-08:002022-12-02T06:44:16.750-08:0050 Shades of Fall<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef5LPrHjXKOqXLVwddCgB5202uiSrmXUtzdi4TFkTrtuPiSjOk9QuDI2zha5FdwtQab6GAya4edKu6918QStmZxbtKz5HWdLtQ0ufX-qedV2q-Hm5LWIUIrI4T_C1Ze2PHsADRtIXY0ry1ALIv2jNJmd7ctQFbj6ZJITeU-gD7DewexC71sdJdSwU/s4608/DSC_0649.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef5LPrHjXKOqXLVwddCgB5202uiSrmXUtzdi4TFkTrtuPiSjOk9QuDI2zha5FdwtQab6GAya4edKu6918QStmZxbtKz5HWdLtQ0ufX-qedV2q-Hm5LWIUIrI4T_C1Ze2PHsADRtIXY0ry1ALIv2jNJmd7ctQFbj6ZJITeU-gD7DewexC71sdJdSwU/w640-h426/DSC_0649.JPG" width="640" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgef5LPrHjXKOqXLVwddCgB5202uiSrmXUtzdi4TFkTrtuPiSjOk9QuDI2zha5FdwtQab6GAya4edKu6918QStmZxbtKz5HWdLtQ0ufX-qedV2q-Hm5LWIUIrI4T_C1Ze2PHsADRtIXY0ry1ALIv2jNJmd7ctQFbj6ZJITeU-gD7DewexC71sdJdSwU/s4608/DSC_0649.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWF-NTyQ1Lo0ElrfHNi2HnMMGm4ZmuutoKsa3R7WQ3gtwgSxw7z11Nuj01kwOqO3i_WXn2Iuba-tC1J4UILYSYTM8iuoE6r3itDYW7yS4U6AfgJhTWxiKHkmagCuWGN4aPml3kFL_DmDuiU2L3RVyN4ZiysPX2JureIw8ZRXhi9kAnTZ2T_-KYLGq/s4608/DSC_0662_01.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWF-NTyQ1Lo0ElrfHNi2HnMMGm4ZmuutoKsa3R7WQ3gtwgSxw7z11Nuj01kwOqO3i_WXn2Iuba-tC1J4UILYSYTM8iuoE6r3itDYW7yS4U6AfgJhTWxiKHkmagCuWGN4aPml3kFL_DmDuiU2L3RVyN4ZiysPX2JureIw8ZRXhi9kAnTZ2T_-KYLGq/w266-h400/DSC_0662_01.JPG" width="266" /></a></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbUJrwcXLSLva4KV3kYZIB544mJY8N1an1ozAhXWYCMi0LqORNBkjvT_gn9aOKa6qAqHD5MKA7P2lJ1a5CCHkgSYtKrsbdMFnpaYShF87x1F_S0kyFHTyXYSL6LuWs7RJJv8s6_D3OuvWExOxWFHUOCvljU0gVSg4yqQi0SqA2hDZi1nTFCzJP2FB/s4608/Milkweed%20at%20Sunset.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbUJrwcXLSLva4KV3kYZIB544mJY8N1an1ozAhXWYCMi0LqORNBkjvT_gn9aOKa6qAqHD5MKA7P2lJ1a5CCHkgSYtKrsbdMFnpaYShF87x1F_S0kyFHTyXYSL6LuWs7RJJv8s6_D3OuvWExOxWFHUOCvljU0gVSg4yqQi0SqA2hDZi1nTFCzJP2FB/w400-h266/Milkweed%20at%20Sunset.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Who doesn’t love Fall’s bright colors? Let’s face it. Fall
tree foliage at its peak is one of the most beautiful of natural wonders, even
if it’s nature’s way of shutting down food production for the season. Sometimes
I get impatient as I wait for vivid fall colors to hit. As things start to dry
up and go dormant for the season, it’s not always spectacularly beautiful.
Sometimes leaves and grasses simply start to die off. Most people don’t find
this type of change beautiful.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>But sometimes you have to look closely to see the beauty. As
I not only waited for fall foliage to begin its lovely journey, but also for my
daughter to be finished with her after school volunteer shift at the local
animal shelter, I spent the time walking at a local favorite place of mine.
Though called Warneke Woods, the natural area also contains a restored prairie.
As things transition from summer to fall, there is much to be seen.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4-ovI0BpQyReXZKiqNMeCriGpcJrJ3ZFhqIFzLHjAd8Dbv95g6YVsM-YB48vXmFXDok4mjdzDsUmSBqErv6nIrwLshJdhvxs87Rw-cM2eZdQi21QicJbCOdNLWUcv4Y-asDBVgHmXaKq8Qq7zJB5NzUNXmhJT_4z-cDzF2DR1wpCSP1DupyGG9v-/s4009/MN%20Aster.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2673" data-original-width="4009" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4-ovI0BpQyReXZKiqNMeCriGpcJrJ3ZFhqIFzLHjAd8Dbv95g6YVsM-YB48vXmFXDok4mjdzDsUmSBqErv6nIrwLshJdhvxs87Rw-cM2eZdQi21QicJbCOdNLWUcv4Y-asDBVgHmXaKq8Qq7zJB5NzUNXmhJT_4z-cDzF2DR1wpCSP1DupyGG9v-/w400-h266/MN%20Aster.JPG" width="400" /></a></p>As I began my hike, I tried to decide whether to walk along
the prairie path first or hit the woodland trails. Glancing out at the prairie,
as the tall grasses swayed in the wind, with their colorful sturdy stems
keeping them upright, I decide to head to the woods first. Not only were the
tree leaves starting to change colors and fall, but there were some beautiful
fall woodland wildflowers to view.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><o:p> </o:p>Earlier in the season, I had already had my first time
encounter with White Rattlesnake Root (not to be confused with White Snakeroot,
also a late summer – early fall bloomer), jewelweed, various woodland edge
goldenrod species and others, but now was the time for several woodland asters
to bloom. Looking at the shades of pale blue, pink, and white, I try to
distinguish one from another, but sometimes I just give up and enjoy their
beauty without worrying about which species they are.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeewlOus4FdwiMf6y9KcHzDKmlsc5LXIhVcmH_2n_maOnWRkz1znMOMEah1wIKVkj7sIbNXNuBZOock1f2X4Cc4A1AbbQGxqz592U8OeiYpbND6ZVf2i3jGsJAN17U7-Z9paJxI5XRckrGoV8DUkKELOp_Weuc8lCHHraXDeQxgRuuxY4eCzw5_LDT/s4203/White%20Oak.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2802" data-original-width="4203" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeewlOus4FdwiMf6y9KcHzDKmlsc5LXIhVcmH_2n_maOnWRkz1znMOMEah1wIKVkj7sIbNXNuBZOock1f2X4Cc4A1AbbQGxqz592U8OeiYpbND6ZVf2i3jGsJAN17U7-Z9paJxI5XRckrGoV8DUkKELOp_Weuc8lCHHraXDeQxgRuuxY4eCzw5_LDT/w400-h266/White%20Oak.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><o:p> </o:p>As I walked through the woods, I not only watched, but also
listened. I heard the breeze blowing tree branches, their leaves, and finally,
the leaves falling. What a sound that makes. So soft, and so peaceful.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
As I emerged from the woods, my eyes were drawn to the
prairie grasses. A few New England Asters and other tail end wildflowers were
blooming, but they could not compete with the subtle beauty of the grasses.
Tall at this time of the year, with their fluffy seed heads and colorful stems,
they have the same beautiful colors as their fall foliage tree leaf
counterparts. The day I walked in this area was cloudy, so the colors really
stood out against the colorless sky and without the harsh sun to diminish their
colors.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>So while I am usually attracted to the bright colors of
other native plants and use that color in the photographs I take and share to
help others appreciate natural beauty, I still enjoy the more subdued shades of fall, the fifty shades of Fall.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPM3IYCB-7SVmlK99GsqD7MY9UbXa-8spTV_gNIMOg3wWeMDSecrS2rFARpdpCezK0NwTmdKFpCyfP-bF1i27HARzlSRX3fMTr5olx2r-10Qy1-a0fBk7jNnU55CubQHyIk6Z0_M3w9bZE92yPedCdKxl_-IPwEhVDc4CBU-go5V7cz4K6w9Pei4v/s3302/White%20Rattlesnake%20Root.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3302" data-original-width="2201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPM3IYCB-7SVmlK99GsqD7MY9UbXa-8spTV_gNIMOg3wWeMDSecrS2rFARpdpCezK0NwTmdKFpCyfP-bF1i27HARzlSRX3fMTr5olx2r-10Qy1-a0fBk7jNnU55CubQHyIk6Z0_M3w9bZE92yPedCdKxl_-IPwEhVDc4CBU-go5V7cz4K6w9Pei4v/w266-h400/White%20Rattlesnake%20Root.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAczMrXFBBUKqQ0FEV-nkXBXLDzpUB-OXcYYuHsMRPcd9RYjUFBLdgSE_Ljg4evfg2uFVAgeB_j2-U_p742_2EkDjRdEpsxXF5COpPrvJmwJx5bukP-RTCWOFtkfp2_5tjqJ7oF1pKaeo-PPcGbx0MsHkWD2egspjtKxglfG1KqqS3XDCkTA4YAz6I/s4608/Bur%20O.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAczMrXFBBUKqQ0FEV-nkXBXLDzpUB-OXcYYuHsMRPcd9RYjUFBLdgSE_Ljg4evfg2uFVAgeB_j2-U_p742_2EkDjRdEpsxXF5COpPrvJmwJx5bukP-RTCWOFtkfp2_5tjqJ7oF1pKaeo-PPcGbx0MsHkWD2egspjtKxglfG1KqqS3XDCkTA4YAz6I/w266-h400/Bur%20O.JPG" width="266" /></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-58626078020263318822022-08-07T11:27:00.000-07:002022-08-07T11:27:54.125-07:00Rest Stop Adventure<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7iDWeC_Iq-LIOIZ-xl50T6OqtKTBXXu-8qf8g3q6Ksj0gwLFNmfDgVJLHXlU_xsKiG42gjqUecmRIQVelJ2LLw0VCOr4EAIHGhTxtHsAGSpi19O7vYyl4Lp8IIniO8mdYLZJn_Y54BuZIrraHj62uQ-rl1GptKfVtaUDc3k1b18Vu_g8ycscbViP/s4608/DSC_0426_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7iDWeC_Iq-LIOIZ-xl50T6OqtKTBXXu-8qf8g3q6Ksj0gwLFNmfDgVJLHXlU_xsKiG42gjqUecmRIQVelJ2LLw0VCOr4EAIHGhTxtHsAGSpi19O7vYyl4Lp8IIniO8mdYLZJn_Y54BuZIrraHj62uQ-rl1GptKfVtaUDc3k1b18Vu_g8ycscbViP/w400-h266/DSC_0426_03.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Is it possible to have an adventure when you visit a rest stop?
Good question. You are stopped, and you are supposed to be resting. However, if
you’re looking for a neat little prairie that’s located right here in Stark
County, be prepared to enjoy an adventure meandering through this restored
prairie.Years ago, the old rest stop on Route 40 south of Bradford was
one location the Stark County SWCD held its Summer Prairie Walk. Due to
increased workload and declining attendance, we haven’t held this once popular
event in recent years. Since then, I normally stop by the old rest stop to walk
through the prairie at least once per summer. However, the last time I visited,
things didn’t look as beautiful as I’d remembered from previous trips. Maybe it
was during a dry part of the summer when blooming was either delayed or blooms
weren’t as showy as in other years, or maybe when I visited, there just wasn’t
as much blooming at that particular time. <br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELYyMsrwg--szqnC53AFBAY8x4CpiQ91GdiWHtHpnHqdyn-KKppXm4XXZa8no8xCimR88EFrTynlpdzb-rDG0-HhRkslq63gO9ovHRNYlQJWLfrdL1_XktF5oXC2OwPFiqBzCtEqbHreKa5xQF0eYO0qDGkqXTBkdBX0wKBlFbEvg86YEwxVu8oQr/s4608/DSC_0480_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELYyMsrwg--szqnC53AFBAY8x4CpiQ91GdiWHtHpnHqdyn-KKppXm4XXZa8no8xCimR88EFrTynlpdzb-rDG0-HhRkslq63gO9ovHRNYlQJWLfrdL1_XktF5oXC2OwPFiqBzCtEqbHreKa5xQF0eYO0qDGkqXTBkdBX0wKBlFbEvg86YEwxVu8oQr/w400-h266/DSC_0480_02.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Since I know a prairie changes from year to year, depending
on weather and other environmental factors, and of course, the prairie changes
from week to week in the same prairie, I brushed aside my concern, and I was ready
to stop for my first visit of the year. I only planned to stop for a quick
visit to take a few pictures for this article, but I ended up staying for much
longer than planned.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4EgV3O-n6I14sTDOoJSunmdSsKvuaIumdfTKUOxXZr-xdi_FAruSCd4D6TRnSK0TG9CYzIxcQ-8CrR2kTLMHzaBpL31bPWgz507XlqTyZJ6C4J_9-2cZ8wyuh1M8PC9bvvSbptVZ-pH1lP1IFn3z0fifn5w1I-AL72TnuTY2LoE34s1ZoNL4ccrH/s4040/DSC_0461_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4040" data-original-width="2694" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4EgV3O-n6I14sTDOoJSunmdSsKvuaIumdfTKUOxXZr-xdi_FAruSCd4D6TRnSK0TG9CYzIxcQ-8CrR2kTLMHzaBpL31bPWgz507XlqTyZJ6C4J_9-2cZ8wyuh1M8PC9bvvSbptVZ-pH1lP1IFn3z0fifn5w1I-AL72TnuTY2LoE34s1ZoNL4ccrH/w266-h400/DSC_0461_03.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>Taking a minute to soak in the view of the entire area
before I began walking, I admired the windmills towering above and the
beautiful Valley down below. The Bridge to Nowhere is a neat local icon. Then,
my eyes zeroed in on the plants themselves. I was pleasantly surprised to see a
nice diversity of plants in bloom, and the longer I walked, the more excited I
became. Not only did I see the common prairie plants we all know and love, but
I saw a few plants I’d never noticed growing in that area before, such as Royal
Catchfly, a beautiful red wildflower.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNHi5H1IO399aNpS_oLVrpPWD3HUO6GThuo5Okd3BCRw-FCFeyWDp9xJd70iwLLlyHc_oklqPjNv6HD-26ElT7XWbO-fFFj7z8pIb1lbfjpE-IyrwRlBsM81p6qxXPmflhUh3QZflaeUleq359SfyZpXsBSZb8SbLv8XVlrCKRTcYHvfllZ8x_2IM/s4436/DSC_0469_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2958" data-original-width="4436" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibNHi5H1IO399aNpS_oLVrpPWD3HUO6GThuo5Okd3BCRw-FCFeyWDp9xJd70iwLLlyHc_oklqPjNv6HD-26ElT7XWbO-fFFj7z8pIb1lbfjpE-IyrwRlBsM81p6qxXPmflhUh3QZflaeUleq359SfyZpXsBSZb8SbLv8XVlrCKRTcYHvfllZ8x_2IM/w400-h266/DSC_0469_02.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not only were the mid-summer bloomers showing their true
colors, but the warm season grasses and late summer wildflowers were gearing up
for their turn. There was a nice mix of pinks and purples, golds and yellows,
whites, grasses, and I already mentioned the striking red of the Royal
Catchfly. In addition to the plants, pollinators were buzzing around—bees,
butterflies, and other insects were enjoying the nectar of dozens of wildflower
species. Songbirds were chirping and flitting from plant to plant. I’m sure a
host of unseen critters were also inhabiting the area as well.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4ou-ho-Ow2vGFJw-Tb4wTcdMp1r-LYr5mPaOt677AcK0j86FbHifx51heWKnQ8QPigi8F3a-r-krA2bHkMI_vaduhlIRIEHYplzGZ2SVeR6WEgtQqYNq8R-NKHSzZHXfsMrS_AhmZ7evIprx1xPOOLOQbvNY2RTNxGKuYz7b6J57x9F8OR8zmdIx/s4608/DSC_0456_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4ou-ho-Ow2vGFJw-Tb4wTcdMp1r-LYr5mPaOt677AcK0j86FbHifx51heWKnQ8QPigi8F3a-r-krA2bHkMI_vaduhlIRIEHYplzGZ2SVeR6WEgtQqYNq8R-NKHSzZHXfsMrS_AhmZ7evIprx1xPOOLOQbvNY2RTNxGKuYz7b6J57x9F8OR8zmdIx/w400-h266/DSC_0456_03.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All in all, my short trip to the Route 40 Rest Stop was a
great opportunity to stop and rest by doing what I love to do—walking in nature
and photographing plants. Even though it’s located right along the highway,
it’s easy to block out the traffic and immerse yourself in nature. I only
walked around the prairie to the north and east of the drive, but there is
acreage to the south of the drive, too. This little prairie is worth the stop!</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReoECOBJwbxrSObhx30YuLuONePi1He8sabh024UJViYfKZXk4MYSE7qjXGCKXR2IGpHebunGT5FYdHB8vaQAV-Vb8GB6C3Jjo-fdlqoWf6RThk3yBTxypMZr0EpTSrZt5PbGeS_YCE2h0Qmi98TbuiTcLyTKY3uez1lDuWg0nfoQyBoBacxRhmZZ/s4608/DSC_0486_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReoECOBJwbxrSObhx30YuLuONePi1He8sabh024UJViYfKZXk4MYSE7qjXGCKXR2IGpHebunGT5FYdHB8vaQAV-Vb8GB6C3Jjo-fdlqoWf6RThk3yBTxypMZr0EpTSrZt5PbGeS_YCE2h0Qmi98TbuiTcLyTKY3uez1lDuWg0nfoQyBoBacxRhmZZ/w640-h426/DSC_0486_03.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-7307467284953096812022-05-13T07:33:00.001-07:002022-05-13T07:36:51.561-07:00 Spring Woodland Wildflowers--Up Close and Personal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuBs5C1fzPd0m-ayb67bdgeHnd6wye1X-RCkbBig-bIZJgAzU33KvebMqgiVKfyoWaS58bv1lJG_E-1YuyGBua1AyW0aLWlRNYHVm4gbs9t2mZRCA70cN0X_iLBOY2M2PKfK8omFyDKJU9IrMsVuZNqPnE2w5QpLpsLH6N1FKEpAGNUcUwUBFYSgL/s3394/Wildflower%20Spring%20Beauty.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2263" data-original-width="3394" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuBs5C1fzPd0m-ayb67bdgeHnd6wye1X-RCkbBig-bIZJgAzU33KvebMqgiVKfyoWaS58bv1lJG_E-1YuyGBua1AyW0aLWlRNYHVm4gbs9t2mZRCA70cN0X_iLBOY2M2PKfK8omFyDKJU9IrMsVuZNqPnE2w5QpLpsLH6N1FKEpAGNUcUwUBFYSgL/w640-h426/Wildflower%20Spring%20Beauty.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Beauty</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">When winter first started to transition to spring, I was excited! <i>Maybe we would have an early spring</i>, I thought. Then the weather got a little topsy turvy. We had warm sunny days, followed by some snow showers a day or so later. Up and down the temperatures went, and the wind! I was starting to wonder if temperatures would ever stay above the 50s when the 90s hit this week! Not only was I starting to get annoyed, but so was everyone else. And the spring woodland wildflowers weren’t sure what to think either. My favorite part of Spring is watching these delicate beauties grow and bloom. Armed with my trusty camera to start my 2022 portfolio of wildflower shots, I was growing impatient as I’d tromp around the woods looking for wildflowers and only see a few shoots or leaves nestled among last Fall’s tree leaves.</div></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-J7Ef6-sPrkZbKC2G3v6P5esG_EmBdvdrhkUietBNm85eecaD6vGA6OYEKNfbJfwVHz7OW3PXhENaVKdEnOSwOzKBaBfMFdZKsbXjygK_U8c2U89PSSlXquOE5-WBIa8TvxM_NRfhtsDq0NcbbyAV5B4pmiaV3vfYR89whang5N7HzRFXzAfJbx3/s4254/Wildflower%20Wild%20Blue%20Phlox.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4254" data-original-width="2836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-J7Ef6-sPrkZbKC2G3v6P5esG_EmBdvdrhkUietBNm85eecaD6vGA6OYEKNfbJfwVHz7OW3PXhENaVKdEnOSwOzKBaBfMFdZKsbXjygK_U8c2U89PSSlXquOE5-WBIa8TvxM_NRfhtsDq0NcbbyAV5B4pmiaV3vfYR89whang5N7HzRFXzAfJbx3/w426-h640/Wildflower%20Wild%20Blue%20Phlox.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Blue Phlox</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Finally I started to find tiny Snow Trilliums emerge and then eventually flower. Then came lovely Hepaticas and Spring Beauties. When I found a nice little patch of Skunk Cabbage to photograph, I was over the roof! Not only are they the first wildflower to bloom every spring, even producing their own heat and capable of melting the snow around them, but they are pretty darned cool even a couple of months later. Skunk Cabbage flowers are unusual, looking like a cross between sprouting red potatoes and pictures I’ve seen of the Corona Virus. Once done blooming, their leaves are still interesting to watch. I check on them weekly and am amazed at how the leaves grow between sightings.<div><br /></div><div>Even though almost all the woodland wildflowers in our neck of the woods have been slower than usual to bloom this year, they have been well worth the wait. I was surprised to stumble upon a few Jack-in-the-Pulpits recently, as they seemed to be blooming right on schedule. I noticed that many of my wildflower favorites, like Dutchman’s Breeches, had a longer bloom time this year, thanks to our weather situation. However, the ninety degree temperatures we’ve experienced this week have sped up the process, and many of the earlier spring flowers are now dying out to make room for the late bloomers. Yesterday I was met with a sea of periwinkle Wild Blue Phlox and lavender Wild Geraniums. A few May Apples were starting to blossom, and I will have to visit again in a few days to see if Virginia Waterleaf is blooming.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfueYWEWG3laG4DoVHj1-oyJrUOcSCSveMlKE8T-C9tj92mLEfLr1BIqY-Dp7k9OWQRQ6N06Lif2PyqtvYX91R_JBMNQYRUyZTgpz0wlBkwnb9f3NrlWIltn3HTUOyMQY-pCyy93Fny659wwuZVJ1b8YFZ_nASPy3rIoePDvNGGRQFMDeuy2DHAfY8/s2797/Wildflower%20Sharp-lobed%20Hepatica.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1865" data-original-width="2797" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfueYWEWG3laG4DoVHj1-oyJrUOcSCSveMlKE8T-C9tj92mLEfLr1BIqY-Dp7k9OWQRQ6N06Lif2PyqtvYX91R_JBMNQYRUyZTgpz0wlBkwnb9f3NrlWIltn3HTUOyMQY-pCyy93Fny659wwuZVJ1b8YFZ_nASPy3rIoePDvNGGRQFMDeuy2DHAfY8/w640-h426/Wildflower%20Sharp-lobed%20Hepatica.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharp-lobed Hepatica<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltNmrg-wGD810m9pIszPozJzKscAlmnL_aorxR77rsHdZnKPzAmDqDfh3ekhAVlFQzSJKq9wXU2V6nOdOGRumhRAT3kKwsANVFPyJv6cDET0Hk6_IRBDDRVq47ensxxNbGg7spsrzlVehqAOpsjs0HSTWoolSQWgW-i0vCZYFjzZoQBf8QK-meUCt/s4608/Wildflower%20Jack-in-the-Pulpit.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltNmrg-wGD810m9pIszPozJzKscAlmnL_aorxR77rsHdZnKPzAmDqDfh3ekhAVlFQzSJKq9wXU2V6nOdOGRumhRAT3kKwsANVFPyJv6cDET0Hk6_IRBDDRVq47ensxxNbGg7spsrzlVehqAOpsjs0HSTWoolSQWgW-i0vCZYFjzZoQBf8QK-meUCt/w426-h640/Wildflower%20Jack-in-the-Pulpit.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack-in-the-Pulpit</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>I was also fortunate to be able to see the Shagbark Hickories leafing out of the gorgeous yellow flowers they produce. I suppose I am a tree nerd as well as a wildflower freak. In recent months I’ve become almost as obsessed with hickories as I am about oaks. So once the woodland wildflower season is done, the trees will be fully leafed out, and I’ll then entertain myself with my favorite prairie plants.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was lucky to be able to find another wildflower site to visit this year, so I alternate between the two areas. Even though they are only about a mile apart, they each have a different mix of wildflowers, and the bloom times between the same species vary a little. Every time I visit, there is always something new to see along with my favorites.</div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioot_IrhDuxwqznt-T7b8eqIt29l7MlM6lBSJpPY1I7476rq9XPFet_-TQejzvPln9Gg-t1qc6JF696nYDpbpyrXhHuW3kl_qnUw39mmHgFrW_SJc_aK8BQ3RcSJJYiKyVQL-pCyS5Iwc-K_qNc9A3UmD-hqZvlm-66qPDHU5y70k_JISLHuqVCOfD/s3014/DSC_0091_01.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2215" data-original-width="3014" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioot_IrhDuxwqznt-T7b8eqIt29l7MlM6lBSJpPY1I7476rq9XPFet_-TQejzvPln9Gg-t1qc6JF696nYDpbpyrXhHuW3kl_qnUw39mmHgFrW_SJc_aK8BQ3RcSJJYiKyVQL-pCyS5Iwc-K_qNc9A3UmD-hqZvlm-66qPDHU5y70k_JISLHuqVCOfD/w640-h470/DSC_0091_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skunk Cabbage</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN">It may sound crazy to spend what may seem to many people like a lot of time in the woods. However, it keeps me from going crazy, and it’s cheap entertainment during a time when everything is so expensive. The time I spend hiking and photographing is usually less than an hour, but it provides days of inner peace, helping to relieve the stress of a busy spring season at work and home. All in all, it makes me happy, and a lot of good comes from it. Spending time outdoors brings joy to many people. Crawling around on a muddy forest floor trying to get an up close and personal shot may not sound like fun to many, but I’ll bet there’s something else you enjoy doing outdoors that makes you just as happy. I encourage you to make time for the simple things that can make our lives seem a lot less complicated.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9T8jBqRq8jNHDNtrkJqqnprsW3OB9sJYvVQ3tjzueM5_UxGqYUUe01R7Wvar1BRuf7Kt3hqOvYIoKMgPSwkQA71IvhabLoeJ-dz-lUu54ZYzcoEIu9ztzp7-tDb6h32WDE8Tn_XQcPiYVLoDliVbyll8sqPw4OMmSzLfLR3TekXy-StI8LI_Zx7e/s4077/Wildflower%20Dutchman's%20Breeches.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4077" data-original-width="2717" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9T8jBqRq8jNHDNtrkJqqnprsW3OB9sJYvVQ3tjzueM5_UxGqYUUe01R7Wvar1BRuf7Kt3hqOvYIoKMgPSwkQA71IvhabLoeJ-dz-lUu54ZYzcoEIu9ztzp7-tDb6h32WDE8Tn_XQcPiYVLoDliVbyll8sqPw4OMmSzLfLR3TekXy-StI8LI_Zx7e/w426-h640/Wildflower%20Dutchman's%20Breeches.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutchman's Breeches<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt0tAM9j-qHuXsBzfXEmkq1jLw47n7llZhhBmzBVxuv7lIlesjnJm-WXayZvA0pUgLB2osS_2WFsixbeDoVuAq3urN4EpYtX8xB10GcNdbn1YLXYhkUoVmBl0Mo9DBumWVPdMRvVzQPNJ_aeTO5BaDEW0Y-yVnL6JyY2ItscO-S_Ww-FGTjHIjeK3/s3066/Wildflower%20Bluebell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="3066" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt0tAM9j-qHuXsBzfXEmkq1jLw47n7llZhhBmzBVxuv7lIlesjnJm-WXayZvA0pUgLB2osS_2WFsixbeDoVuAq3urN4EpYtX8xB10GcNdbn1YLXYhkUoVmBl0Mo9DBumWVPdMRvVzQPNJ_aeTO5BaDEW0Y-yVnL6JyY2ItscO-S_Ww-FGTjHIjeK3/w640-h426/Wildflower%20Bluebell.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluebells</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX52Mjstd_yq-Lx77NVOlVB0PZ5_Q9iCI8gbBP-zqzqDsm8rp-wt1LNUk53MV8o4_JsNOFtLa6-G5Ct91FgEVLP0UVWKUfP2qem1az3dO3cTjD0FgKrMBhJfvs1uvD_zn58hUA9Rl_XYex7GaRtafXZeEyv6zrejSKcOuuRsU7DhJE6t7ALqsaelB/s3808/Wildflower%20Purple%20Trillium.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2539" data-original-width="3808" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPX52Mjstd_yq-Lx77NVOlVB0PZ5_Q9iCI8gbBP-zqzqDsm8rp-wt1LNUk53MV8o4_JsNOFtLa6-G5Ct91FgEVLP0UVWKUfP2qem1az3dO3cTjD0FgKrMBhJfvs1uvD_zn58hUA9Rl_XYex7GaRtafXZeEyv6zrejSKcOuuRsU7DhJE6t7ALqsaelB/w640-h426/Wildflower%20Purple%20Trillium.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Trillium<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-76690787743126288892022-04-03T07:24:00.004-07:002022-05-12T07:31:44.648-07:00New Release--"Rachel and Sammy's Nature Notes"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbfgDsQtuZgCUieh-pSS-66Ox-NOIL8yLjH84aUAh6D4L0rSL5tbb68S40G6kLV1O9_ZmJDREjXR4DNIn3XfXbSm6gleSqVgPZo6LOXf63EfhLnv-yzsspoVZRut1ED1TW0_K7hPwSG1MbCo03arI8js3PahHaW-zx7U2eA3vI4aBiEXYehVrbLgN/s2700/Front%20Cover%20033022-slarge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbfgDsQtuZgCUieh-pSS-66Ox-NOIL8yLjH84aUAh6D4L0rSL5tbb68S40G6kLV1O9_ZmJDREjXR4DNIn3XfXbSm6gleSqVgPZo6LOXf63EfhLnv-yzsspoVZRut1ED1TW0_K7hPwSG1MbCo03arI8js3PahHaW-zx7U2eA3vI4aBiEXYehVrbLgN/w426-h640/Front%20Cover%20033022-slarge.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Eklund Publishing recently released </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Rachel and Sammy's Nature Notes</i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">, the newest book in the Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Series by Jannifer Powelson. </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">Rachel and Sammy's Nature Notes</i><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"> is a junior field guide to help children learn all about the natural world. Kids will hike along with Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk to discover sixty native prairie plants, twenty spring woodland wildflowers, and ten butterfly species in this colorful and easy to use photographic nature guide.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Copies of this book are available, along with Powelson’s other titles, online and from several local retailers. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: large;">Print ISBN: </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: large;">979-8-426252-5-23</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;">110 Pages</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Print Edition: $18.95 </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kindle Edition: $5.99</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Sammys-Nature-Notes-Raccoon/dp/B09WQ562HV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IAVAYO994TIU&keywords=jannifer+powelson&qid=1649764809&s=books&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C367&sr=1-1"><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase from Amazon</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stay tuned for information on upcoming nature programs and book events to celebrate the release of <i>Rachel and Sammy's Nature Notes.</i> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9EU4lfRivNeVBpFBSxzuvZUzCnW9L9rs2slIrTUZZIlsFqG7fuuqcNaaJY42m2I5VQMM7k9xHIh9NNHH3XlqBkAwNsISCnoTXRABOi5Y0-JSe1kyPdWKnVH_9yR3xWVzvCy1_LCtZPu64Pobo9-Z576T8HQFmxME207hyLWu3EzLOulDehbzNIP9/s1201/9798426252523%20Powelson%20TB%20033022-sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1201" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9EU4lfRivNeVBpFBSxzuvZUzCnW9L9rs2slIrTUZZIlsFqG7fuuqcNaaJY42m2I5VQMM7k9xHIh9NNHH3XlqBkAwNsISCnoTXRABOi5Y0-JSe1kyPdWKnVH_9yR3xWVzvCy1_LCtZPu64Pobo9-Z576T8HQFmxME207hyLWu3EzLOulDehbzNIP9/w640-h474/9798426252523%20Powelson%20TB%20033022-sm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-57446641582432446752022-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:002022-01-11T08:57:02.415-08:00New Release – Land of Ice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSsjM1KJJRSqZra-c0Fq_3thHr_xbaTEEyfiANu-SXriphBHB8_DceUF7cCwUVaUHmNkT1rUnCHKs6U2fEv2wyUpg-Xv7scLtbT6DeNVuqsIbwZy3vAI9nu9bY7cNuc28CGwVnmID7CL9Y6i-MrXYmfOTXSZ5yEDnR5nhR3LpV7DmjilUjCWZpWjgS=s2560" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSsjM1KJJRSqZra-c0Fq_3thHr_xbaTEEyfiANu-SXriphBHB8_DceUF7cCwUVaUHmNkT1rUnCHKs6U2fEv2wyUpg-Xv7scLtbT6DeNVuqsIbwZy3vAI9nu9bY7cNuc28CGwVnmID7CL9Y6i-MrXYmfOTXSZ5yEDnR5nhR3LpV7DmjilUjCWZpWjgS=w400-h640" width="400" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Eklund Publishing recently released </span><i style="color: #0f1111;">Land of Ice</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">, the
seventh book in the Nature Station Mystery Series by Jannifer Powelson. Stay cozy this winter with a
cozy mystery!</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Kristen Matthews—make that Stevenson—is
on top of the world, not far from the Arctic Circle! Recently married to the
man of her dreams, Brett Stevenson, their wedding went off without a hitch, and
they are looking forward to their first adventure as a married couple. After
flying to Iceland in the dead of winter for their honeymoon, they’re still
suffering from jet lag when a dead body turns up while they’re sightseeing.
Will things heat up or turn stone cold as they try to track down the killer in
the Land of Fire and Ice?</span></i><span style="color: #0f1111; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Kristen and Brett intend to experience all
Iceland has to offer, including wild and rugged scenery, the charming capital
city of Reykjavik, and the area’s famous geothermal waters. But will their
honeymoon plans go awry when Kristen can’t stop herself from sticking her nose
where it doesn’t belong and lands herself in hot water?</span></span><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">Copies of this book are available, along with Powelson’s other titles, online and from several local retailers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Print ISBN: 979-8-782001-0-25</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Print Edition: $11.95 </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Kindle: $4.99</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Land-Ice-Nature-Station-Mystery/dp/B09NRH6X4S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B72F5M69F1HF&keywords=Jannifer+Powelson&qid=1641920090&sprefix=jannifer+powelso%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Purchase from Amazon</a><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimalwlEhGBnd5Y9pn-4hheRPJqRqeD9DqJwbRi6KB0nKehXUou41f3Lk8M8JNK_KUo3jGPEv6gGYrUO7Z2r2VZvuoMH7C94AmtvLoQwSgUJoLArAvzhPsEuZ_uQZXRa0D5L-3j9rwSDWJ5i522xbjS5nclXbSlkOFIEnhuN6s6VaLoq6nHaq6ypZDZ=s397" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="397" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimalwlEhGBnd5Y9pn-4hheRPJqRqeD9DqJwbRi6KB0nKehXUou41f3Lk8M8JNK_KUo3jGPEv6gGYrUO7Z2r2VZvuoMH7C94AmtvLoQwSgUJoLArAvzhPsEuZ_uQZXRa0D5L-3j9rwSDWJ5i522xbjS5nclXbSlkOFIEnhuN6s6VaLoq6nHaq6ypZDZ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-32862984524850448542021-12-16T12:29:00.004-08:002021-12-16T12:29:33.247-08:00Fall Fever<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #5e5e5e;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUVjKY91CArzcq14gHv7f6qsBbpTuWued2-u-InMg2mDIZwlqft4CKw-Gy4Fo2lJbkDikgLx6Q915M9zVe6yuSn4wus32x-t-0i3mVvxGH3qdtnFSx7bHjARv1M4b255uF9RYTA3EW1PVpuzornZRR21L6w3TVurwaJIpwAG0e6lV_HqHsbyxl2XKt=s3701" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3701" data-original-width="2467" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUVjKY91CArzcq14gHv7f6qsBbpTuWued2-u-InMg2mDIZwlqft4CKw-Gy4Fo2lJbkDikgLx6Q915M9zVe6yuSn4wus32x-t-0i3mVvxGH3qdtnFSx7bHjARv1M4b255uF9RYTA3EW1PVpuzornZRR21L6w3TVurwaJIpwAG0e6lV_HqHsbyxl2XKt=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div>When Fall first arrived this year, I was skeptical
that it would be a pretty one, in the way of fall foliage, that is. We had been
dry for several weeks until that point, (at least in my neck of the woods in
Princeton) and the temperatures were above average. Normally fall foliage
performs its most spectacular and colorful displays when the weather conditions
are right—cooler temperatures, especially at night, and more moisture than what
we’d received until that point. When the rain started, and the temperatures
started to cool, it was amazing how the tree leaves responded. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-l_9LVog2mtmQWmAtZKpO_tmwC59g6m826HJ0g4-Pe3PBLrqhhinlZM1E8nnqNI9IYiTj2ElNavT76HlzcACrfYSz-YItw0dm7dXl1_zYyYXHKS-74hUb_nndGM9eY5GpeMjLPPDlNKhK48qCJSCP99TqHvmUNc5L85vs85JMo-TAGd8RnMmLqGTv=s4535" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4535" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-l_9LVog2mtmQWmAtZKpO_tmwC59g6m826HJ0g4-Pe3PBLrqhhinlZM1E8nnqNI9IYiTj2ElNavT76HlzcACrfYSz-YItw0dm7dXl1_zYyYXHKS-74hUb_nndGM9eY5GpeMjLPPDlNKhK48qCJSCP99TqHvmUNc5L85vs85JMo-TAGd8RnMmLqGTv=s320" width="320" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-right: 12.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5e5e5e; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge0xbxBuQdeHTTmRTMQRX0si1xyMsN3Grlqp4W3VMoP_Y_VkRdJ3WSjpQvEwpi7R2rZuZcxw8EK32d3ir-McXJIgcnLa7hc2lIJGiJd5hHCB5LjpLdMLnINY_PT1W-aSXuITU9T9Qtuom3PoX89fIIpPYlUoe9HMn1YtnSOi8Lo83Tv_5-VNzBH7NS=s4608" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge0xbxBuQdeHTTmRTMQRX0si1xyMsN3Grlqp4W3VMoP_Y_VkRdJ3WSjpQvEwpi7R2rZuZcxw8EK32d3ir-McXJIgcnLa7hc2lIJGiJd5hHCB5LjpLdMLnINY_PT1W-aSXuITU9T9Qtuom3PoX89fIIpPYlUoe9HMn1YtnSOi8Lo83Tv_5-VNzBH7NS=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>Slowly but surely, not only did the maples begin their
color show, but hickories began to change to lovely golden hues. I awaited the
rest of our deciduous beauties to begin their fall displays with my trusty
camera in hand. I snapped several hickory shots this fall. I normally enjoy the
shaggy bark of the Shagbark Hickory at any time of the year, but this year, I
took time to appreciate the beauty of the hickory leaves, which ranged from
bright yellow to orange, to rust, sometimes on hickories within the same grove.
Hickories’ huge compound leaves are pretty all throughout the growing season,
but Fall makes everything special. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-right: 12.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5e5e5e; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg91GuldtoV0qhyrudz07-5BgadGP1drSlAOrAqDJZv-8TFiyolArBTG4IaW3uxd4gqGnPkuuDNlwRe0dcdHdhIm_ou-uU6iTDi1ARCk19lyRrjKnqsK8SJVt5TovzUhGM8h2xJNeDoCVc9UZLUf7fP-jmMDzLUcwNvrUKtQFeA5_tcMqTbogyExBGr=s4608" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg91GuldtoV0qhyrudz07-5BgadGP1drSlAOrAqDJZv-8TFiyolArBTG4IaW3uxd4gqGnPkuuDNlwRe0dcdHdhIm_ou-uU6iTDi1ARCk19lyRrjKnqsK8SJVt5TovzUhGM8h2xJNeDoCVc9UZLUf7fP-jmMDzLUcwNvrUKtQFeA5_tcMqTbogyExBGr=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br />The oaks were taking their time, but their color is
always well worth the wait. Their more subtle colors complement their drastic
textures, with their heavy-duty leaves and ornate branching patterns and bark contributing
to their fall beauty. As other tree leaves swirled in the wind and landed on
the ground, many oak leaves persisted. Driving through our local countryside on
the lookout for my known oak and hickory haunts, I am always on the lookout for
more.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh64hk4D_meWV2zSeLHKMMH_w2Hf0_D9xQe1a8lx740fJ3-15rD5mzuM7Roz1B-SYKyZduPtsr1XUQ_5ei1IjnPdfTwH2sA5eHF7jvneW181Jdi9ioD1slukxbtIE2tZyGzwkex_2LH2b80O5nz31ywbb5jU25QdpuLsRU8Yvlg6RduebBbvFKcqNDd=s4608" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh64hk4D_meWV2zSeLHKMMH_w2Hf0_D9xQe1a8lx740fJ3-15rD5mzuM7Roz1B-SYKyZduPtsr1XUQ_5ei1IjnPdfTwH2sA5eHF7jvneW181Jdi9ioD1slukxbtIE2tZyGzwkex_2LH2b80O5nz31ywbb5jU25QdpuLsRU8Yvlg6RduebBbvFKcqNDd=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div><br /> <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-right: 12.0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #5e5e5e; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What started off to be a slow Fall that didn’t seem
promising in the color department, turned into a beautiful lightshow of color.
Most of the leaves have now fallen to the ground, waiting to be raked, piled,
mowed, burned, or just blown around by the wind, and we are now experiencing
the bleak late Fall time before the snow starts flying. Soon there will be
another season of beauty to enjoy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4ISjec3JCfc4tIc1VPRFAs5xenKMvI498kDkkyspnkjp9vMQ53fk9j8tebQ-uyRwvWuiGlZ_TjpHNfqt30HgMdvZMHNUXH7502oWhwrSBBhOo9bnlqVv5TOBzBU2_4G0-1SZtLO7aoblM64IjcXYBoefOhbQLHzDAggkg5BkUsLJiRauTof0R13Ps=s4608" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4ISjec3JCfc4tIc1VPRFAs5xenKMvI498kDkkyspnkjp9vMQ53fk9j8tebQ-uyRwvWuiGlZ_TjpHNfqt30HgMdvZMHNUXH7502oWhwrSBBhOo9bnlqVv5TOBzBU2_4G0-1SZtLO7aoblM64IjcXYBoefOhbQLHzDAggkg5BkUsLJiRauTof0R13Ps=w320-h213" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-50753737608337730942021-08-24T07:21:00.000-07:002021-08-24T07:21:09.878-07:00Eastern Adventures<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFjJvYNjyzFDyeQfLwvqI6eVK5fOdtA6cl7cDiUxNoz7-CN7MpHw70pF3dAkPTU7xcPV18LxXVqb4iGXg-pT4pBX10XAY0HRTkDXJsfB1DoCOUdCPeLVui75vGpDHwoV_OiNZpM_vUNo/s2048/Eastern+Article+American+and+Bridal+Veil+Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFjJvYNjyzFDyeQfLwvqI6eVK5fOdtA6cl7cDiUxNoz7-CN7MpHw70pF3dAkPTU7xcPV18LxXVqb4iGXg-pT4pBX10XAY0HRTkDXJsfB1DoCOUdCPeLVui75vGpDHwoV_OiNZpM_vUNo/w640-h426/Eastern+Article+American+and+Bridal+Veil+Falls.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">As much as I enjoy
Illinois’ subtle beauty, I’m always ready to travel to other places. Since it
had been two years since our last family vacation, (that included my husband) I
was rearing to go. We had discussed a trip to Colorado but decided to head
northeast, toward hopefully cooler and moister weather. We had visited Niagara
Falls six years ago and thought it would be a good starting point. Despite
traffic and road construction, we made it to Buffalo in ten hours. After a
dinner of local favorites—much appreciated after a long drive—we made plans to
get up and get moving to visit Niagara Falls State Park the next morning,
before it got too busy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXsGd93yeilLj3xdEb6TqqYAKgsZTEe5qPG43mtLqomg5gOKTbvWicgZIDlYKwppYF2kBRxnLo6_vIk2BH1CxggjqXGDi-zje19ZRGm3TWpKlIg6d2tBnmvn5vyK1sqwt17hSmOshS3o/s2048/Eastern+Article+Horseshoe+Falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXsGd93yeilLj3xdEb6TqqYAKgsZTEe5qPG43mtLqomg5gOKTbvWicgZIDlYKwppYF2kBRxnLo6_vIk2BH1CxggjqXGDi-zje19ZRGm3TWpKlIg6d2tBnmvn5vyK1sqwt17hSmOshS3o/w400-h266/Eastern+Article+Horseshoe+Falls.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Horseshoe Falls</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">Starting off the
day in rain, we got even wetter on the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Once the
rain cleared away, we were left with beautiful views as we walked around the
entire park, getting up close and personal looks at the Niagara River, rapids,
and the waterfalls. I was disappointed we could not travel through and stay in
Canada (since we did not get a chance to do that last time), but there’s always
the next time. I think the Canadian borders opened shortly after we returned
home.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszn0PE70GuDzGZ2RsMA7O92kGwTYtZDyS7Nf_viEElWl6RdA6sk7L67S7jbexT3QVxBDBkvxF7xaq1mx5uJ0K3Y3DlzXbmx35G5bBphpDXAKEnvK4xVkarEDF-x0yj23q2UfsPtl3LMo/s2048/Eastern+Article+Chimney+Bluffs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszn0PE70GuDzGZ2RsMA7O92kGwTYtZDyS7Nf_viEElWl6RdA6sk7L67S7jbexT3QVxBDBkvxF7xaq1mx5uJ0K3Y3DlzXbmx35G5bBphpDXAKEnvK4xVkarEDF-x0yj23q2UfsPtl3LMo/w266-h400/Eastern+Article+Chimney+Bluffs.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Chimney Bluff State Park</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">The next day we
headed further east, driving through the Finger Lake Region. The parks we
visited featured more lovely waterfalls, but totally different than the massive
Niagara Falls. The Taughannock Falls State Park was a last minute sidetrip, en route to </span><a name="_Hlk79565832" style="font-family: arial;">Robert H. Treman State Park</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. We
were glad we made the stop, as Taughannock Falls plunges 215 feet past rocky
cliffs that tower nearly 400 feet above the gorge. There was also an
amazing pollinator garden at the visitors center that made me feel like I was
back in one of my favorite places—an Illinois prairie. By then, we thought we’d
seen enough waterfalls and wanted more Finger Lake time. However, once we
realized Robert H. Treman State Park was more waterfalls, we hiked to both the
upper and lower falls, with amazing views along the trails of the surrounding
woodlands, gorge, and falls.</span></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v6HLDfxOit0hiR0M2ozPMTLBh5UAJ3XKMFx77LaKfAlXpSn8pQaEtD7uu55Fxng6w2ckYLuBC6HNGWXSY9vYf454hJkBm-mA5gqDdU0IA8l1YUoGM6jgSG-grkOIWrthfJoB7qC5hVM/s2048/Eastern+Article+Fair+Have+Beach+SP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v6HLDfxOit0hiR0M2ozPMTLBh5UAJ3XKMFx77LaKfAlXpSn8pQaEtD7uu55Fxng6w2ckYLuBC6HNGWXSY9vYf454hJkBm-mA5gqDdU0IA8l1YUoGM6jgSG-grkOIWrthfJoB7qC5hVM/w400-h266/Eastern+Article+Fair+Have+Beach+SP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Fair Haven Beach State Park</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Even though we
didn’t get to explore as much as the Finger Lakes themselves, though drove
through the region and had beautiful views of them, we did make sure we had
plenty of Great Lakes time. If you’ve read my articles before, you may remember
that I’m slightly obsessed with the Great Lakes. On our Lake Ontario Day, we
started off at Fair Haven Beach State Park for a neat large pebble beach
experience before heading west to Chimney Bluffs State Park. Not only did we
spend much time hiking along the beach near the massive clay drumlins that look
like chimneys, but we had a beautiful skyline view of the royal blue waters and </span><span style="font-family: arial;">contrasting gray drumlins. The steep hike was well worth the view.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYzDEobZLW38ZIY_ANuMMpwI2Fomt33evrz9TbQevsumtG2VN_nlAi3YE4Dfk562_7RPAGmaxjVe9IriqohbY5jyB4cDc_XYG45HmdQ70f5uDWpxXjfHHoKlrd0DSwrQvVcdLpjtAFA0/s2048/Eastern+Article+Mountain+Stream+Adirondacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="2048" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYzDEobZLW38ZIY_ANuMMpwI2Fomt33evrz9TbQevsumtG2VN_nlAi3YE4Dfk562_7RPAGmaxjVe9IriqohbY5jyB4cDc_XYG45HmdQ70f5uDWpxXjfHHoKlrd0DSwrQvVcdLpjtAFA0/w400-h259/Eastern+Article+Mountain+Stream+Adirondacks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Adirondack Mountain Stream</b></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-family: arial;">The Adirondacks
were next on the itinerary. We spent the next day exploring these subtle
mountains of dark green trees and other plant life, plus multiple mountain
lakes and streams. Though the day was cloudy and hazy, we still enjoyed getting
a taste of this six million acre park. I know this area would be even more
beautiful in the fall, when leaves are at their peak!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk522524248;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As we started for
home the next day, we opted to visit Lake Erie. Stopping at Presque Isle State
Park in Erie, we enjoyed the driving along this interesting peninsula park—an
oasis so close to Erie. Full of beautiful beaches, inland marsh and swamp areas,
and an interesting lighthouse, this park is a real asset to the area. It was
nice to stretch our legs for a lakeside hike along one of the many beaches and
lighthouse area before doing more driving toward home.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The rest of the
trip was downhill after that, as we hit more traffic and construction than we
did on the way east. Even though we tried to change our route to avoid some the
areas we hit </span><span style="font-family: arial;">driving east, it did little to help. Still, it was a fun family
road trip, and we will savor the memories for y</span><span style="font-family: arial;">ears to come.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEmMg2EXIOmTFu4-P0mULWVODNHFWSFjOhd9RmvK8hYM7DBchkdOU4w-fp6cWhVeYMvRRbkGZpZewRioPilBr3BXBVKV6sOUMpQeWeZGO9Zx_CCeUEICJ88UYQYHYPKT67obdqS2wlLc/s2048/Eastern+Article+Chimney+Bluffs+SP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEEmMg2EXIOmTFu4-P0mULWVODNHFWSFjOhd9RmvK8hYM7DBchkdOU4w-fp6cWhVeYMvRRbkGZpZewRioPilBr3BXBVKV6sOUMpQeWeZGO9Zx_CCeUEICJ88UYQYHYPKT67obdqS2wlLc/w640-h426/Eastern+Article+Chimney+Bluffs+SP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><b>Chimney Bluffs State Park on Lake Ontario</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-36074434788571885672021-05-21T07:44:00.002-07:002021-05-21T21:08:53.125-07:00Spring Woodland Wildflower Wonders<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqatks31M0W7ckACmQDG5zTaEq3k5qov0HlkcqNLokZwKMfjJJ8nkL5Oe9ESJ4q_S2rU4u21zTXCMvVoyl081M4eFe5-XCyLeQfLVnu3Z3mxL8ucxxj3XiED2iOCxCSrR6y4jBlcp01QU/s2048/Wild+Blue+Phlox.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqatks31M0W7ckACmQDG5zTaEq3k5qov0HlkcqNLokZwKMfjJJ8nkL5Oe9ESJ4q_S2rU4u21zTXCMvVoyl081M4eFe5-XCyLeQfLVnu3Z3mxL8ucxxj3XiED2iOCxCSrR6y4jBlcp01QU/s320/Wild+Blue+Phlox.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Blue Phlox</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXMhIfW56Ane31RCcqt6ov-I-0ccvf3w9f5wNnyZlaMi4L8YKfXAIo3MR80W5nlbfkv-VupnHD27W2EwqsinJ2kmvRB0YHp-P89lVXCpF9Jawrutz-AOu1STL4AN1fGHlRfouq9TTzsM/s2048/Wild+Columbine+2.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1496" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXMhIfW56Ane31RCcqt6ov-I-0ccvf3w9f5wNnyZlaMi4L8YKfXAIo3MR80W5nlbfkv-VupnHD27W2EwqsinJ2kmvRB0YHp-P89lVXCpF9Jawrutz-AOu1STL4AN1fGHlRfouq9TTzsM/s320/Wild+Columbine+2.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Columbine</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I think most of us look forward to spring after a cold,
dark, and snowy winter. Even though our “real” winter weather only lasted for a
couple of months this year, we had a wide variety of precipitation forms packed
into that time period. I was happy that when the snow and ice started to melt,
spring seemed to be on its way.</p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIAvsfrXH1wIBx_TDpt1FQExXbYkAbNxE1ymnV55pMzhioydfousP6Xm2ot2mJq0xWqukcm4Fk7Zp80vxCHysSxQVKl-5XeYuiw6YqglWi-4b2aIxVWEFmgJq3fyEoEyjje8bahJ3uKo/s2048/White+Trillium.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIAvsfrXH1wIBx_TDpt1FQExXbYkAbNxE1ymnV55pMzhioydfousP6Xm2ot2mJq0xWqukcm4Fk7Zp80vxCHysSxQVKl-5XeYuiw6YqglWi-4b2aIxVWEFmgJq3fyEoEyjje8bahJ3uKo/s320/White+Trillium.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow Trillium</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">With sprin</span>g comes a time of rebirth, regeneration, and rejuvenation.
In addition to the grass greening up, trees blooming and budding, and some
feathered friends returning, I enjoy taking hikes in the woods to view spring
woodland wildflowers. This spring at least one of my two daughters, along with
our two dogs, took a weekly woodland hike. While my daughters and dogs walked, I
spent the time crouched on the ground—or even lying on the ground when it wasn’t
too wet—getting up-close and personal and snapping pictures of wildflowers.
From the first Snowy Trilliums to the Wild Columbines currently blooming, I took dozens—actually hundreds--of pictures. The children and dogs
would wait for me to catch up, wondering what had taken me so long.</span></p>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMOrHt0b1fhignX38uPENG5yL3q7B2g9SGdvYTSGJy2Dl8btDIiC4cPtib4fgdFvkClmtGHeasOxV8iswTIsbvG86tYkWG0xXBO7IJ-akKr_kHQeZC2r_BLkPuE8TGm9rJjUJXmt8wQ/s2048/Smooth+Yellow+Violet.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegMOrHt0b1fhignX38uPENG5yL3q7B2g9SGdvYTSGJy2Dl8btDIiC4cPtib4fgdFvkClmtGHeasOxV8iswTIsbvG86tYkWG0xXBO7IJ-akKr_kHQeZC2r_BLkPuE8TGm9rJjUJXmt8wQ/s320/Smooth+Yellow+Violet.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smooth Yellow Violet</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLz2Bl2qi-pKgxA-RH8mSBTiOYQfY4fK_l8Ru_bvv-rbG-or58xJck46gOUN31bP3X2t0qamaZUwCZvgYzy64icT_nEzzhEWqRJjX0Zy7t-Bhl8eX7J867SAZTko4ADHH1DybQjmrIAz8/s2048/Hepatica.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1377" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLz2Bl2qi-pKgxA-RH8mSBTiOYQfY4fK_l8Ru_bvv-rbG-or58xJck46gOUN31bP3X2t0qamaZUwCZvgYzy64icT_nEzzhEWqRJjX0Zy7t-Bhl8eX7J867SAZTko4ADHH1DybQjmrIAz8/s320/Hepatica.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hepatica</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One day we even got caught in a thunderstorm. What
started out as a few sprinkles turned into a drenching downpour. As I climbed
the steep, muddy, and slippery hill to the final part of the trail, where my
daughters and dogs were waiting, my older daughter’s eyes widened in surprise
at my appearance. Apparently, I looke</span>d a little rough around the edges, with a
crazy look in my eyes, raindrops dripping off the edge of my nose, my wild hair
sticking out from my hooded sweatshirt, drenched to the bone, and my clothes
totally splattered with mud, especially the knees of my soaked sweats, that were
smeared with mud.</p>
I have to say, the Dutchman’s Breeches photos I took that
day were pretty neat, despite the challenge of trying to keep my lens from
fogging up or getting wet, not to mention getting myself too wet. I think I
failed in that respect, but it was well worth it. The girls, dogs, and I all had
a great time, even if my car smelled of wet dog for the drive home and probably
a few days after.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjwzOShRH_Wysu7uGzuUBFgf9kNRmzWCP44ygK8u6Dbiv_oqh_ULlXuuHSHIMSHXl4tk_GvQUQ-BanPt5hbUEFcyD5kPhK0vcypeA83E0wKR9ECxaTCxN4lB3kHm2CuIn4QhhXI1NiNU/s2048/Dutchman%2527s+Breeches+2.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1341" data-original-width="2048" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjwzOShRH_Wysu7uGzuUBFgf9kNRmzWCP44ygK8u6Dbiv_oqh_ULlXuuHSHIMSHXl4tk_GvQUQ-BanPt5hbUEFcyD5kPhK0vcypeA83E0wKR9ECxaTCxN4lB3kHm2CuIn4QhhXI1NiNU/w640-h422/Dutchman%2527s+Breeches+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dutchman's Breeches</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMNBF11Ocg9seCHf3gFjOpyDR8gvyJis5_SsWvgL81ecciPHdrjxus5cvXgnaChk1OZ2v2jL85-adEgSeAK9mufy1tYdW-ke6ZlcbYmbsQCNYqPqQC0SogT4KmfPa61ySsEOi_mFD_gw/s2048/Bluebells.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="2048" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMNBF11Ocg9seCHf3gFjOpyDR8gvyJis5_SsWvgL81ecciPHdrjxus5cvXgnaChk1OZ2v2jL85-adEgSeAK9mufy1tYdW-ke6ZlcbYmbsQCNYqPqQC0SogT4KmfPa61ySsEOi_mFD_gw/w400-h238/Bluebells.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Virginia Bluebells</td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Some may wonder why I continue to take photos of plants I’ve
been photographing for over twenty-five years. The only reason I can find is, <i>I
can’t seem to resist! </i>Seriously, hiking in the woods is a peaceful
experience for me and helps to relieve stress. When you factor in taking
photographs of beautiful plants that only bloom for a short time period, the
peaceful feeling increases. From the practical perspective, I use the photos for
educational and promotional purposes for the Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books and Nature Station Mysteries I write, and also use them in my job as</span> Resource Conservationist at
the Stark County SWCD.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS11sJYu2yIRqhFp0OwRp01DUlgremdtHYy524OF3IGerQKvvMtsmA3WDVedygyQPgyXS2LII6dQXjAwwEC_HpyCyFZYfPHjh5jP7UBJdl1rITadtsboN7-FCAq5tula36CUBi1eEac4/s2048/Wild+Geranium+4.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPS11sJYu2yIRqhFp0OwRp01DUlgremdtHYy524OF3IGerQKvvMtsmA3WDVedygyQPgyXS2LII6dQXjAwwEC_HpyCyFZYfPHjh5jP7UBJdl1rITadtsboN7-FCAq5tula36CUBi1eEac4/s320/Wild+Geranium+4.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Geranium</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It’</span>s amazing to me how the same flowers I see every year manage
to look even more interesting and beautiful every year. Maybe it’s because
after all this time, I still notice brand new details or even discover new-to-me
wildflower species. Different angles, different lighting, and the novelty of
not seeming these lovely plants all the time, make them great photo opportunities,
year after year. I like to think my photography skills improve a little over
time, so I really need to take time to weed out some of my older pictures.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Even though we don’t often think of Illinois as being the
most scenic spot on earth, we do have some beautiful areas and some unique
plant species. I use the pictures to try to show others how interesting these
pretty wildflowers are.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I hope you enjoy this virtual walk in the woods.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmtopSbWmDYttpVagecrgbr0o8PLawqtxPMwa6k2mA_R6rmVG_Fq1RagZ3-caPccrz1IXHCEegilgsfUDdNqhyphenhyphenEINUSKIYl0fAI8PNQCtuehLNbJ3mQY8MlmHp2rAqBbKHqJzNVQm2Pc/s2048/Purple+Trillium.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="2048" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmtopSbWmDYttpVagecrgbr0o8PLawqtxPMwa6k2mA_R6rmVG_Fq1RagZ3-caPccrz1IXHCEegilgsfUDdNqhyphenhyphenEINUSKIYl0fAI8PNQCtuehLNbJ3mQY8MlmHp2rAqBbKHqJzNVQm2Pc/w400-h274/Purple+Trillium.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Trillium</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblMvC7jRuDFlkAu3Mjc57JHj2LonHePaySuq-12FpIQeNySORfYXVHZRR57QNbphRb2VDGUtiayambyf4MQqEBlV_AVB3V1gQ8hW-pQPhP64U6XZ272gOi-q2Z-QSSp2EL_tmW4nn4VM/s2048/Jack-in-the-Pulpit.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblMvC7jRuDFlkAu3Mjc57JHj2LonHePaySuq-12FpIQeNySORfYXVHZRR57QNbphRb2VDGUtiayambyf4MQqEBlV_AVB3V1gQ8hW-pQPhP64U6XZ272gOi-q2Z-QSSp2EL_tmW4nn4VM/w400-h268/Jack-in-the-Pulpit.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack-in-the-Pulpit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeD7BSwITZlOhwYAcfAlxx0Uqov_D02IT9cViw-jddoXlkLOLxHg6YwiVD_dhOolHDJok_Njamuk3ImjIq9TSdbCERfjSB7yLUIGYohDTg6bd0Dr06fG0CPj82FfjkCvIfjZ98Fs2BErI/s2048/Blood+Root.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeD7BSwITZlOhwYAcfAlxx0Uqov_D02IT9cViw-jddoXlkLOLxHg6YwiVD_dhOolHDJok_Njamuk3ImjIq9TSdbCERfjSB7yLUIGYohDTg6bd0Dr06fG0CPj82FfjkCvIfjZ98Fs2BErI/w400-h265/Blood+Root.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blood Root</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-11252351904981805362021-02-05T11:53:00.002-08:002021-02-05T12:15:08.635-08:00Winter Wonderland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYQX89AjnDlt7vWPUFlByOPibAe16b1jUqJXXhrFEjacE9fpou9Ru5qHMezYbjdbImOnw8-JhKgOuycq1f0Z78Ts3eQfY72Cs9u5F3lMIJ3lBtGYfeFQh6zFdGNDxwOUbtHdzJ0fv8IQ/s2048/DSC_0992.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYQX89AjnDlt7vWPUFlByOPibAe16b1jUqJXXhrFEjacE9fpou9Ru5qHMezYbjdbImOnw8-JhKgOuycq1f0Z78Ts3eQfY72Cs9u5F3lMIJ3lBtGYfeFQh6zFdGNDxwOUbtHdzJ0fv8IQ/w400-h266/DSC_0992.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I a write this, we’ve had a month of interesting weather, with more on the way. We’ve had several forms of precipitation,
leaving behind much snow and ice on sidewalks and some of the lesser travelled
roads and streets. Before the latest Arctic blast, it finally starting to melt, making it easier to drive
my favorite backroads to work and walk my dogs around town. Before that, I was
getting tired of the <b>babystep</b> workout, never knowing which sidewalks would be
clear, and which would be a pile of hard packed snow and ice. I just tried to
remain an upright position, which was challenging at times, when we’ve had
layer upon layer of several forms of precipitation, including days and days of
frozen fog.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIr02m5yxC7AAzc7Geh3idVITC2MW8_fWx59TLE_n5EFB-BjDKAPs_179ZmunlPz655UUJMEkXJ4AMC9zAoaFWwNPQ2IkVZ1Kpks0I0A8boDUjZvIKV1FDuvqeCMOgn6F8_H9I4GOY8yA/s2048/Windbreak+Article.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIr02m5yxC7AAzc7Geh3idVITC2MW8_fWx59TLE_n5EFB-BjDKAPs_179ZmunlPz655UUJMEkXJ4AMC9zAoaFWwNPQ2IkVZ1Kpks0I0A8boDUjZvIKV1FDuvqeCMOgn6F8_H9I4GOY8yA/w400-h266/Windbreak+Article.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">We’ve only had a few days of actual
sunshine lately, which I know can be gloomy for some. I’ve learned to
appreciate gloomy days as much as bright and sunny days, but even I was getting
a little sick of the total fog we had for so long. From sun up to sundown,
nothing but fog—assuming we could actually see the sun, which we could not.
However, one day, while driving to work, I was wondering how I would ever get there
with the very murky fog that morning. A few seconds later, I drove up and down
a hill, the fog lifted, and the sun not only peeked through the clouds, but shone
brightly. Reflecting off the snow, ice, and hoar frost, it was an amazing site.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79GVh9jY1lNF-FtFnoYJf2K3h2UTK5kXO9ibNyysJ6Q8W2fAe4QaVinBgl5AxqHmYvWsj13KJA-HzH05t1J9gJMVMi5iBt8GivcU6cCajuacGme9OABhAImjcCYFWK4EeLECC3Yzl2jI/s2048/DSC_0979.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79GVh9jY1lNF-FtFnoYJf2K3h2UTK5kXO9ibNyysJ6Q8W2fAe4QaVinBgl5AxqHmYvWsj13KJA-HzH05t1J9gJMVMi5iBt8GivcU6cCajuacGme9OABhAImjcCYFWK4EeLECC3Yzl2jI/w400-h266/DSC_0979.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">As you may know by now, I entertain myself
and find peace during these turbulent times (and yes, 2021, is starting off to
be just as interesting as 2020 was!) by photographing our local natural beauty.
This year I began in my backyard, taking photo after photo of almost every
combination of snow, ice, and hoar frost on the trees and shrubs in my yard.
The herbaceous plants had been trimmed back for the season, other than the
shorter prairie grasses in my landscaping, of which I did photograph. Since we
are fortunate enough to have a wind and privacy break of Colorado Blue Spruce
and Norway Spruce I began by taking
pictures of these conifers. Their branches laden with snow and ice, they made a
spectacular site.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpRFgEBilYGV6pNhL9vsuCjUlqWCyWV16z3QnhppE_uNXUUBkkBI30gzdeE8238AbujSWfFD6uHGSJA8wXf1NI93ocp2Q0y65Vh5BcpUemxBYPY8tcoqclng2c2Zf05h5wcnUEPAQH8o/s2048/DSC_0963.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="2048" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpRFgEBilYGV6pNhL9vsuCjUlqWCyWV16z3QnhppE_uNXUUBkkBI30gzdeE8238AbujSWfFD6uHGSJA8wXf1NI93ocp2Q0y65Vh5BcpUemxBYPY8tcoqclng2c2Zf05h5wcnUEPAQH8o/w400-h274/DSC_0963.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I then moved on to the deciduous trees.
The derecho in August did a number on some of them, but I was still able snap
several photos of remaining trees and shrubs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprPIJksO55ZXQQleyK_6Hd1r_YayjsrjyUCekjleu1MnQT-ScojHyJGYgYcr8mSIqV72JTlerzvYvHMHwBbBR4GDuQNXnTKxdCWgGdBz68i9VGq15JWePySVJe9n7owKC3peuuxqd-hY/s2048/DSC_0894.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1394" data-original-width="2048" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprPIJksO55ZXQQleyK_6Hd1r_YayjsrjyUCekjleu1MnQT-ScojHyJGYgYcr8mSIqV72JTlerzvYvHMHwBbBR4GDuQNXnTKxdCWgGdBz68i9VGq15JWePySVJe9n7owKC3peuuxqd-hY/w400-h272/DSC_0894.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">From here I branched out. I decided to photograph
my favorite trees, white oaks, that look beautiful, even leafless in the middle
of the winter. There are a few in town that are single and solitary, so they
have much room to really spread their wings—or branches. With the foggy
background, snow, and dark branches, these pictures look like they were taken in
black and white, but they were actually taken in color. I found some oak leaves
still on the branches, and zoomed in on the leathery leaves, sparkling with
hoar frost, even in the gloom.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOld8KpcfYaxa1cZ-kzwXs-kBD-IoEuhuOXhkQNjoB7IRIKBWr7OFz-3MSvrTelT3LDTpbFhBznT2apuihEkqIGwOwSNAgwY95KN99PNyB9MAPqdX9e9nlPYCf13uL-Ag5pXfbqgALlQ/s2048/DSC_0987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOld8KpcfYaxa1cZ-kzwXs-kBD-IoEuhuOXhkQNjoB7IRIKBWr7OFz-3MSvrTelT3LDTpbFhBznT2apuihEkqIGwOwSNAgwY95KN99PNyB9MAPqdX9e9nlPYCf13uL-Ag5pXfbqgALlQ/w400-h266/DSC_0987.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The day the sun finally shone, I was
fortunate enough to have my camera with me. Once I arrived at work, I snuck a
few pictures of the Rock Island Trail, prairie plants near the office, and the
pin oak near the back door. They were all gorgeous, with the blazing sun, blue
sky, and trees and plants covered with snow, ice, and frost. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;"></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If this past year has taught me
anything, it’s to appreciate my surroundings and all the everyday things we
may normally take for granted. Exploring local nature with my trusty camera has
opened my eyes to the natural beauty that surrounds us, whether we notice it or
not.</span><p></p><div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-20926916776294195762020-11-27T07:35:00.003-08:002020-12-01T07:06:48.095-08:00Hitting the Backroads<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpF_CMaCcIYLpVMv-In2vhkVrr9g9WrNPWWLw6Agm-cIwiOeA9M8gsYGs3AnOEyhvG37kHX8Ocx3v1-2uKjOryIkJXiIMHenORtNvo6_kE6DmO1OmIihnJocPDET0Z-d6v7TI8ArpgQc/s2048/DSC_0582.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1386" data-original-width="2048" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpF_CMaCcIYLpVMv-In2vhkVrr9g9WrNPWWLw6Agm-cIwiOeA9M8gsYGs3AnOEyhvG37kHX8Ocx3v1-2uKjOryIkJXiIMHenORtNvo6_kE6DmO1OmIihnJocPDET0Z-d6v7TI8ArpgQc/w640-h434/DSC_0582.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Not wanting to travel too far from home during these crazy times, other than our quick trip to Minnesota before COVID numbers started flaring up again, I have entertained myself the past several months by expanding my photograph collection of plants and other nature related subjects. I started in early spring, as spring woodland wildflowers began to bloom. I already have hundreds of photos of the same plants, but there’s something soothing about hiking in the woods and connecting with nature, even when crouching on fallen leaves to get the best angle, then having to stand back up again. My daughter and pooches accompanied me on many of these spring hikes, which made for a fun family outing.</span><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4LFKfONdpy5AX25nQOp38RwiyfXzJsAgtNKUpGxbdypZehLmZu1R6MvIB9CiaiCjqccsdyJ8ZKQ90-SObZgN6zClYvymON7ygnJuM46gDmsN3mwkYi8DSQM-pg2TJFzPJQaXy7C1Biw/s2048/DSC_0216.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="2048" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4LFKfONdpy5AX25nQOp38RwiyfXzJsAgtNKUpGxbdypZehLmZu1R6MvIB9CiaiCjqccsdyJ8ZKQ90-SObZgN6zClYvymON7ygnJuM46gDmsN3mwkYi8DSQM-pg2TJFzPJQaXy7C1Biw/w400-h281/DSC_0216.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana;">As spring turned into summer, I switched to photographing prairie plants. I have hundreds of pictures of many of these plants as well, but still, I kept snapping pictures. I have a backyard prairie, so photo subjects were very handy. I’d snap pictures, view them on my laptop, and retake, if necessary, to get better shots. Soon, I was taking pictures of bees, butterflies, and whatever flying wildlife would sit still for a few seconds to have their pictures taken.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the season progressed, I’d carry my camera with me to take pictures on the way home from work in areas I’d spied particular plants blooming. Sometimes I’d spend a half hour or so on a weekend, driving to a local spot to capture pictures I hadn’t during the week. Soon my photo collection grew even more, and I could see an improvement. Even though I’ve been taking pictures since I was ten years old, there’s always room to learn and grow. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWl7aHFMUriEsfB5a30QdTcAasLu8AxxHkQ9PLu9BwCIHxeu3wLWpIrKS0tm_BP2sapPzwtihM0TfpUAcdFFFrEg2UAzJZykKEA8_Y_IVR7io4mhyphenhyphen7eWWvu6E3MQ3iT6H5XpFgiC7ayw/s2048/DSC_0010.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWl7aHFMUriEsfB5a30QdTcAasLu8AxxHkQ9PLu9BwCIHxeu3wLWpIrKS0tm_BP2sapPzwtihM0TfpUAcdFFFrEg2UAzJZykKEA8_Y_IVR7io4mhyphenhyphen7eWWvu6E3MQ3iT6H5XpFgiC7ayw/w400-h266/DSC_0010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Many may think taking so many pictures is a waste of time, but it’s good entertainment for me, and since I use them for work, and to help promote the books I write about nature, the photos come in handy for promotional purposes, and maybe even a future book cover. Besides, when I get back to organizing my pictures, I’ll be deleting photos taken several years ago that don’t cut muster.</span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-sGwQOHQrM28w-FOYNQofUkKRMsvyjiSVtQuLBQaGd_gbpQqAk-vQQyYtVJ4eocmYukDhryuPJCVUaCVJ73dQwCwGVqvylP4tCp3IvCbso_rgK8RplwwvxSIWNj7cc8YcdOnx0zj4L8/s2048/DSC_0551.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="2048" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-sGwQOHQrM28w-FOYNQofUkKRMsvyjiSVtQuLBQaGd_gbpQqAk-vQQyYtVJ4eocmYukDhryuPJCVUaCVJ73dQwCwGVqvylP4tCp3IvCbso_rgK8RplwwvxSIWNj7cc8YcdOnx0zj4L8/w640-h432/DSC_0551.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the growing season came to an end, and the leaves had mostly dropped, I branched out and started paying more attention to some of my favorite backroad landmarks. I don’t have to go out of my way to photograph these spots, since they are on some of my favorite backroads I take to and from work many days. I’ve taken pictures of historic barns, bridges, and even concrete fence posts along my favorite backroad that runs along a portion of the Hennepin Canal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaqELRvnlUoomvSeRpEknLcj-rEZXhHBHwWoGzIdYTQ9na0Y4ZBsEfr69OHiijVv4bfeS1v0CawBulPZ6k0aFju03ahexa1aOECbCi7cwHgsjxO4KOWmBcBPWdr4RE83GhBNk900So5o/s2048/DSC_0562.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaqELRvnlUoomvSeRpEknLcj-rEZXhHBHwWoGzIdYTQ9na0Y4ZBsEfr69OHiijVv4bfeS1v0CawBulPZ6k0aFju03ahexa1aOECbCi7cwHgsjxO4KOWmBcBPWdr4RE83GhBNk900So5o/w400-h268/DSC_0562.JPG" width="400" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76DecBnmt8ZjaFxxGBMdgNHwaaGyGAl8x9HYOLfiOocvwh7NiKf1kvqAGkurx0WXpeiHyZfWXY9Ts_C4ibnTYSFTq2iaw7MtCbpYJ9desjoEZxm_2AVQJZxwWuMVGjvwVVn_aHR5NRRE/s2048/DSC_0604.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76DecBnmt8ZjaFxxGBMdgNHwaaGyGAl8x9HYOLfiOocvwh7NiKf1kvqAGkurx0WXpeiHyZfWXY9Ts_C4ibnTYSFTq2iaw7MtCbpYJ9desjoEZxm_2AVQJZxwWuMVGjvwVVn_aHR5NRRE/s320/DSC_0604.JPG" width="320" /><span style="color: black; font-family: verdana; text-align: left;"> </span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My older daughter will be getting her senior pictures taken in three days, and my eyes have seen local spots through the lens, so now I have some areas in mind I think will make amazing backgrounds. We’ve postponed getting pictures taken until after her braces come off in two days, so we’ve missed some of the beautiful plant life that makes great outdoor backgrounds. The two areas I have in mind still have some color and texture that should work well. Hopefully the photographer (not me!) and subject (my stubborn daughter!) agree with my ideas, but even if they don’t, my eyes have been opened this past spring and summer to the beauty that surrounds us each and every day in our area. Even though I love to travel out of state and out of the country, there’s something to be said about appreciating our local backroad scenery.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKhbkBM8cScSXJ4xsDa3GKTYyymJnHoAQG2Y0UYkE3gt_o53ClSk6J_28eyC-tjCRpAl7hj-SROZLcWtgmR0u3ajGvHJSC7mtBf2-ftj5jgVGYYvMzYmZAVGhdGlH_ph0cDM-WjGLjmU/s2048/DSC_0682.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKhbkBM8cScSXJ4xsDa3GKTYyymJnHoAQG2Y0UYkE3gt_o53ClSk6J_28eyC-tjCRpAl7hj-SROZLcWtgmR0u3ajGvHJSC7mtBf2-ftj5jgVGYYvMzYmZAVGhdGlH_ph0cDM-WjGLjmU/w640-h426/DSC_0682.JPG" width="640" /></a></p></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-41062207496943848062020-11-27T07:02:00.003-08:002021-08-12T07:37:54.835-07:00A Superior Vacation<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgROGZRYl4R44-IbywFB4h5UhhTKWcdBrqOG1QvB3yefWaXop-7UZ6d1wDWLb6hDfqnXyKLQu8pBKYK5jkzJeRR2NgJsZWG4R6_KsU2Ci4gcWQS1v1YsYTI14Cj8Yr0o6wbAx4Cs0u7A/s2048/DSC_0401.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgROGZRYl4R44-IbywFB4h5UhhTKWcdBrqOG1QvB3yefWaXop-7UZ6d1wDWLb6hDfqnXyKLQu8pBKYK5jkzJeRR2NgJsZWG4R6_KsU2Ci4gcWQS1v1YsYTI14Cj8Yr0o6wbAx4Cs0u7A/w426-h640/DSC_0401.JPG" width="426" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;"><br />This is not the first time I’ve written about my
obsession with the Great Lakes. My family traditionally travels to Lake
Michigan over Columbus Day weekend most years, but this year was an exception. I
wanted to travel to a spot that wasn’t crawling with tourists escaping Chicago or
other metro areas, so I looked for somewhere that would hopefully be less crowded.
Because I’d heard great things about Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior,
we chose that area for our trip. Though we’ve visited multiple areas along Lake
Superior, we’d never travelled to that particular area.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Noting several state parks dotting the shoreline, I tried
to prioritize which to visit during our short stay. While it was nice to take a
fall vacation, we still had to work around our daughters’ school schedules, so we
didn’t have enough time to visit all the places that looked interesting. I
booked a room in Duluth, thinking that would be a good starting point for areas
to the north or even if we wanted to visit the shoreline in Wisconsin. Duluth
itself is an interesting and beautiful city, especially with the fall foliage
dotting the hilly city, and nestled along Lake Superior, right into the
Minnesota border. We visited the Great Lakes Zoo, my daughter’s choice, and
also spent some time at Leif Erickson Park. We drove across the Aerial Lift
Bridge. But, what I was itching to do was hit the shoreline for some
spectacular scenery. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2yr67vIW7MmsDpFeo4t1Q2gqXMpwmBMNV0MGqUMZT2t5p3GI0XjCofuDy4tO0PcLpFj_ub9GN_Dl1rQz9_9eb24hqCqokrYqA5SmNnhMhUD5e-9h8raprRhYMEVISnhG9ndyQIBTPz0/s2048/DSC_0426.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: verdana; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2yr67vIW7MmsDpFeo4t1Q2gqXMpwmBMNV0MGqUMZT2t5p3GI0XjCofuDy4tO0PcLpFj_ub9GN_Dl1rQz9_9eb24hqCqokrYqA5SmNnhMhUD5e-9h8raprRhYMEVISnhG9ndyQIBTPz0/w400-h266/DSC_0426.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We were not</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;"> disappointed. Between the beautiful fall
foliage, shimmering blue water, and granite shorelines, the scenery was
indescribable. The weather was perfect, and the light hitting the water,
granite hills, and tree leaves made things even more gorgeous. We traveled on
scenic Highway 61 northward to visit many parks—even as far as Grand Portage at
the Canada border. Knowing they wouldn’t let us in, we didn’t bring our
passports, but one of these days I hope to cross the border and travel all
around the lake.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We started off at Gooseberry Falls State Park. As the
name implies, there are waterfalls but also streams, wooded trails, and
amazing views of Lake Superior along sheer granite cliffs. The view right
outside the visitor’s center is a perfect photo opportunity, with birch and
aspen trees framing the blue lake water in the distance—simply breathtaking!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74nr4cSx3np32zdTr88OFGdWOdc3V9j8MYIzcNXxc8_T8hPH65RvMJLh2g9zhUZXjRjqsibgVgRwpLEg9rBkhpGurs23ZSmUG77FfhTQKedylMDm84eBq_mCPePLo4ni-R1YP6B2tzQQ/s2048/DSC_0451.JPG" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74nr4cSx3np32zdTr88OFGdWOdc3V9j8MYIzcNXxc8_T8hPH65RvMJLh2g9zhUZXjRjqsibgVgRwpLEg9rBkhpGurs23ZSmUG77FfhTQKedylMDm84eBq_mCPePLo4ni-R1YP6B2tzQQ/w640-h426/DSC_0451.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;">From here, we continued north to the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. We hiked along the shoreline but decided to visit the lighthouse until the next day. My daughter drove us back to Duluth, so I could sit back and enjoy the views along the way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNc0Cu5Zq4AnwSYn39TwtUW8MsoKB17rnVq8NtFuVDY-eu9KwakF2_kw7gy_ZowStzMjJfhCB4eW6Ys34aOKtDrpBINGHH0W3E295mik_wQlCpIKt5HJ1NgWA63BrukMPFJXKF-o7lEA/s2048/DSC_0462.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNc0Cu5Zq4AnwSYn39TwtUW8MsoKB17rnVq8NtFuVDY-eu9KwakF2_kw7gy_ZowStzMjJfhCB4eW6Ys34aOKtDrpBINGHH0W3E295mik_wQlCpIKt5HJ1NgWA63BrukMPFJXKF-o7lEA/w640-h426/DSC_0462.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;">The next day was more of the same. We visited the Split Rock Historic Site for views of the pristine and interesting lighthouse and grounds, not to mention the lake, then hiked down to the shoreline for views from below. The scenery from the wooded trail on the way back up were just as amazing. Continuing our journey northward, we headed to the border and visited Grand Portage State Park, where we saw more beautiful waterfalls. But the views that were even more amazing were from two scenic pull offs along Highway 61. I could have spent all day gazing at all the shades of golden tree foliage, contrasting with the rocky hills on one side and the beautiful lake on the other side. We could see for miles, as far as Canada and Isle Royale National Park.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjZlBot7Iy2T58amRisiteyMA3Tr_W5noKiGOE59NoIwU8pBzRAlgI4IGUGIo6Un02VRUSj3VQnrYijE09Z2d-GqZ4zBOGUfbB3GRnS-zCMX4sOPU4kXVsB_w0Kce1FcoLPBMMUfOiCg/s2048/DSC_0470.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjZlBot7Iy2T58amRisiteyMA3Tr_W5noKiGOE59NoIwU8pBzRAlgI4IGUGIo6Un02VRUSj3VQnrYijE09Z2d-GqZ4zBOGUfbB3GRnS-zCMX4sOPU4kXVsB_w0Kce1FcoLPBMMUfOiCg/w400-h266/DSC_0470.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We broke up the drive southward to Duluth by making a
quick stop at Tettegouche State Park. We hiked down to the tiny bay and knew we
would like to s<o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana;">pend more time at this park but were pretty worn out by this
time.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In addition to taking more time to explore Duluth, there are
dozens of other parks and natural areas I want to visit or revisit the next
time we make this trip. And trust me—there will be a next time! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 15.65pt; margin-bottom: 15.7pt;"><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-65240879068068894572020-09-02T15:13:00.001-07:002020-09-02T15:20:40.154-07:00Just Released<p> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i style="font-family: verdana;">Leaf Peepers</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">, the Sixth B</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">ook in the </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadxDWkpVkOtBDz8-99l1LwPG9elY_fgh3sc_ZVF-5MnTaZDSNh-Y_BFZsB1AG3ZF7Nt5QXfbC_2F2NpdTBB15rr7q0SL1RrARDJS_WzfdPFFXembWDJ8IkLKDJoCi0x1QWkYS6Yys6cA/s2048/front+cover+072220-slarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1273" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadxDWkpVkOtBDz8-99l1LwPG9elY_fgh3sc_ZVF-5MnTaZDSNh-Y_BFZsB1AG3ZF7Nt5QXfbC_2F2NpdTBB15rr7q0SL1RrARDJS_WzfdPFFXembWDJ8IkLKDJoCi0x1QWkYS6Yys6cA/w254-h410/front+cover+072220-slarge.jpg" width="254" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Nature Station Mystery Series</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="background: white;">What starts out as a </span></i><i><span style="background: white;">carefree</span></i><i><span style="background: white;"> road trip turns into a dangerous</span></i><i><span style="background: white;"> </span></i><i><span style="background: white;">murder investigation when Kristen Matthews and her friends head to the beach over Labor Day weekend and find more than they bargain for along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan.</span></i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Kristen and her friends are enjoying the beautiful lakeside scenery at the Indiana Dunes and several southwestern Michigan parks while they plan a trip itinerary for a Nature Station ecotour aimed at Leaf Peepers. But the fun stops when Kristen stumbles upon a dead body</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">, and they switch from researching possible tour stops to researching murder leads. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">While</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> the women are busy searching for clues and </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">interviewing those who knew the victim, Kristen wonders if their girls' trip will turn out to be all work and no play. Travel along with Kristen and her Nature Station buddies while they not only soak up the scenery but </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">also</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> hunt for a killer.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To schedule author events or programs, contact the author at jannifer.powelson@gmail.com</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: verdana;">Softcover ISBN: </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: verdana;">978-1-950560-37-0 </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">$12.95</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white;">EPUB ISBN: </span><span style="background: white;">978-1-950560-38-7 $4.99</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white;"><b>Purchase Options</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://progressiverisingphoenix.com/product/leaf-peepers-by-jannifer-powelson/">Publisher Website</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1950560376?pf_rd_r=NNVVP4AVPFJVNGR9D9EM&pf_rd_p=edaba0ee-c2fe-4124-9f5d-b31d6b1bfbee">Amazon</a><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leaf-peepers-jannifer-powelson/1137543728;jsessionid=1F3013D8C3EB560DB62D2D3893D70140.prodny_store02-atgap09?ean=9781950560370">Barnes and Noble</a></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or jannifer.powelson@gmail.com to arrange for personalized copies. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TeHW7ri_sYJpZHZe6GjCkU_xw6IVmLYTZ2X5Z_ytBFpUTgBf06iiv2eK2jQVt_YTXLD_17J-5gcr3VlUs-zYOg9RhxOH-_62mfNAw3fJRoMwfdwKjNsygHDQtbz3ngYU-d1CaiC6eYA/s495/Barn+logo+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7TeHW7ri_sYJpZHZe6GjCkU_xw6IVmLYTZ2X5Z_ytBFpUTgBf06iiv2eK2jQVt_YTXLD_17J-5gcr3VlUs-zYOg9RhxOH-_62mfNAw3fJRoMwfdwKjNsygHDQtbz3ngYU-d1CaiC6eYA/s0/Barn+logo+new.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-70510707927505475142020-08-25T15:19:00.002-07:002020-08-30T07:39:43.000-07:00Adventures in the Prairie<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc4XiOl9MzJeqhyphenhyphenh_d8tKJPYW00UshBXIfxWvYGcRoM2ZMIVT3yv4n3y6UOdK96P0i76RsFGPMX_iJc9EfUe9NALF22Gqz1i-em53W-ebdIqH7gT1kKCIBh-qIm5Crv22PYWRzS29zGc/s2048/DSC_0100.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtc4XiOl9MzJeqhyphenhyphenh_d8tKJPYW00UshBXIfxWvYGcRoM2ZMIVT3yv4n3y6UOdK96P0i76RsFGPMX_iJc9EfUe9NALF22Gqz1i-em53W-ebdIqH7gT1kKCIBh-qIm5Crv22PYWRzS29zGc/w400-h267/DSC_0100.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you “Like” my Author Jannifer Powelson Facebook Page, you will have noticed several wildflower
pictures posted on a regular basis during the past several months. In the
spring, it was spring woodland wildflowers, and now that it is summer, I have
posted several prairie species photos. I enjoy posting these pictures to
generate </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">interest and familiarity with the featured plants and to help promote both my Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books, as well as Nature Station Mysteries. I also want to share something positive on social media to help offset all the negativity we see every day. </span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXccszROMtBOCllIU3X00YUwN6i15JRoXxRzMUYjp5fsNZpJJyHCND802EWU8D1y4IcZO_28AjhO0kWD9WqxIDwVEbwpZ8zOTPc2KZPOE70jSIeBIl-q5WUF2G8gdOX6Kfyh6Md4d-d4/s2048/DSC_5869.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMXccszROMtBOCllIU3X00YUwN6i15JRoXxRzMUYjp5fsNZpJJyHCND802EWU8D1y4IcZO_28AjhO0kWD9WqxIDwVEbwpZ8zOTPc2KZPOE70jSIeBIl-q5WUF2G8gdOX6Kfyh6Md4d-d4/w400-h267/DSC_5869.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">However, there is another reason I’ve been posting so many,
and that’s because I’ve been taking so many! Unfortunately, due to COVID 19 putting
a damper on traveling too far, plus the huge workload I've had this summer with my work as a conservationist, I have not been able to take a vacation this summer. We
hope to go somewhere this fall but are waiting to see how this unusual school year
goes for our daughters before we make firm plans. Our one quick trip to Iowa
for a school shopping getaway was perfectly timed for the weekend before the
historic Derecho hit. The area where we stayed was hit particularly hard. It’s
sad that the country backroad scenery we enjoyed traveling through now looks entirely
different.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vRmPUM6doGP52_325o5Mdp8vDO4uqXYbMp9pastVU-0XKb5UDs8Sn5WeNf5t_QVbIsXysgrFn-JpW_NyyOPEe9jGNhgcomtgFCnL2ivu46SsWXHElUfTocMTygnkNR5OiAVSnM7HOsA/s2048/DSC_6042.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1407" data-original-width="2048" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vRmPUM6doGP52_325o5Mdp8vDO4uqXYbMp9pastVU-0XKb5UDs8Sn5WeNf5t_QVbIsXysgrFn-JpW_NyyOPEe9jGNhgcomtgFCnL2ivu46SsWXHElUfTocMTygnkNR5OiAVSnM7HOsA/w400-h275/DSC_6042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Luckily, I’ve been able to take even shorter trips to local prairies to photograph some of my favorite plants. My own backyard prairie has been a hotbed for photo opportunities. It’s buzzing not only with a variety of colorful and diverse plant life, but it’s also a haven for bees, butterflies, other insects, and songbirds. I’ve also visited Center Prairie, west of Princeton, the Hennepin Canal near Wyanet, Princeton Library’s pollinator garden, and Stark County’s Route 40 Rest Stop to capture some of my favorite bloomers. We’ve had some beautiful blue skies with white puffy clouds that make beautiful backgrounds.</span></span></div><div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-top: 6pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Even
though I have hundreds of wildflower photos in my collection, I can’t seem to
stop myself from taking more! I don’t mind, though, as taking and sharing the
pictures gives me much joy and stress relief. I’ve had fun getting down on the
ground to get the same old wildflowers from a different angle. Getting up again
isn’t so much fun, but the pictures are well worth the effort.</span></p></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyH_NISVEo2W6qIQr0tb6qTckFJEcLiOBXiB6uKJIxtt-Olb6ZziaCcVjX8rzH2kFp0LZLSNnYIjY1tJ7vCX57PeGS2wFDAwgd70VrcwBVXvLxMjU82C8sUOiKrs0dn7QYIUF7jT9dIS0/s2048/DSC_6109.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyH_NISVEo2W6qIQr0tb6qTckFJEcLiOBXiB6uKJIxtt-Olb6ZziaCcVjX8rzH2kFp0LZLSNnYIjY1tJ7vCX57PeGS2wFDAwgd70VrcwBVXvLxMjU82C8sUOiKrs0dn7QYIUF7jT9dIS0/w400-h267/DSC_6109.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One of these days I’ll be able to travel to my favorite
places, plus those on my bucket list, again. In the meantime, I try to make the
most of sticking closer to home. If you look closely you can see nature’s
beauty no matter where you are.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p></div>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-74956597493508571962020-08-09T08:44:00.003-07:002020-08-20T14:32:32.895-07:00Coming soon ... Leaf Peepers<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-large;">Coming soon...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><i>Leaf Peepers</i>, the sixth book in the </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Nature Station Mystery Series</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="background: white;">What
starts out as a </span></i><i><span style="background: white;">carefree</span></i><i><span style="background: white;"> road trip turns into a
dangerous</span></i><i><span style="background: white;"> </span></i><i><span style="background: white;">murder investigation when Kristen Matthews and her
friends head to the beach over Labor Day weekend and find more than they
bargain for along the sandy shores of Lake Michigan.</span></i><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white;">Kristen
and her friends are enjoying the beautiful lakeside scenery at the Indiana
Dunes and several southwestern Michigan parks while they plan a trip itinerary for
a Nature Station ecotour aimed at Leaf Peepers. But the fun stops when Kristen
stumbles upon a dead body</span><span style="background: white;">, and they switch from researching possible tour
stops to researching murder leads. </span><span style="background: white;">While</span><span style="background: white;"> the women are busy searching for clues and </span><span style="background: white;">interviewing those
who knew the victim, Kristen wonders if their girls' trip will turn out to be
all work and no play. Travel along with Kristen and her Nature Station buddies
while they not only soak up the scenery but </span><span style="background: white;">also</span><span style="background: white;"> hunt for a killer.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOjmTQsIacsPdUSVfrbK0O06TpVEGKBt7JICcLkPyD6LXhNPifs8hUrOr4M1rXU1dIlr0qWOXPzkOMFfCy85c7qP9iTvtU8okRDWqiSuY8K990VWwzO0cbz9F3eTxuEtGn5_P7-8T7E4/s1050/Leaf+Peepers+Full.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOjmTQsIacsPdUSVfrbK0O06TpVEGKBt7JICcLkPyD6LXhNPifs8hUrOr4M1rXU1dIlr0qWOXPzkOMFfCy85c7qP9iTvtU8okRDWqiSuY8K990VWwzO0cbz9F3eTxuEtGn5_P7-8T7E4/s640/Leaf+Peepers+Full.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white;">Softcover ISBN: </span><span style="background: white;">978-1-950560-37-0 </span><span style="background-color: white;">$12.95</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white;">EPUB ISBN: </span><span style="background: white;">978-1-950560-38-7 $4.99</span></span></p><br /><p></p>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-19558839290521616702020-05-19T10:12:00.001-07:002020-05-22T07:51:55.099-07:00Spring Wanderings while Sheltering in Place <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGlsNpEAmuHHJ8_FbXnVziuBS392zoEBDt8vJLcr-PL26mUNl9ViiQbNhvduy5PjUqwiKXJK6lSDoeab1_iV4FnN_uyoVa3as78684vqOjasFGVF3kJ5HYLoPYPJgtk9avg878WTm878/s1600/DSC_5538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGlsNpEAmuHHJ8_FbXnVziuBS392zoEBDt8vJLcr-PL26mUNl9ViiQbNhvduy5PjUqwiKXJK6lSDoeab1_iV4FnN_uyoVa3as78684vqOjasFGVF3kJ5HYLoPYPJgtk9avg878WTm878/s400/DSC_5538.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>White Trout Lily</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We haven’t even made it to the halfway point of 2020, and
it’s already been an interesting year!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve
all adjusted our lifestyles, whether it’s our family lives, social lives, work
schedules, home schooling, shopping habits, and just about </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">everything else in
our daily lives. In addition to major events being postponed or even cancelled,
businesses have struggled, jobs lost or intensified, going without our favorite
products, and a host</span> of other changes. Many people are having a tough time dealing
with all these issues. <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 12pt 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My family is lucky to continue to work, even if our work
environment may be our dining room table a day or two a week, and when at the
office, we must practice social distancing with the other skeleton crew
members. As I write this, the Sheltering in Place is in effect until the end of
May, most likely with social distancing practices to be practiced, even after
some restrictions are lifted. I don’t wish to make light of what anyone is
going through, but in my family’s case, we are trying to make the most of the
situation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 12pt 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskFQ-xY5jEP75O-HdymjdSVK8LBxfahP6dWG-O8Ysq5UdklnIl5NobajXXm59r_Z9sttLQd8c0q3IrQCmXLSNDzfmizVs0bIFFn412SEWLIWXYwBsmLVhvCKPSbmV42Rn_OxmCNTRv5s/s1600/Woodland+239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskFQ-xY5jEP75O-HdymjdSVK8LBxfahP6dWG-O8Ysq5UdklnIl5NobajXXm59r_Z9sttLQd8c0q3IrQCmXLSNDzfmizVs0bIFFn412SEWLIWXYwBsmLVhvCKPSbmV42Rn_OxmCNTRv5s/s400/Woodland+239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><em>Bluebells</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One positive outcome from all this, is that more people,
my daughters included, are exercising outdoors. We live in an older residential
neighborhood not far from a city park, so we see a lot of foot and bike
traffic. While walking the dogs in nearby neighborhoods, I also notice more
people hanging out on their porches and</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"> patios or just puttering around their
yards. It’s great to see everyone out and about.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 12pt 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One thing I’ve had more time to do is one of my favorite
springtime activities—walking in the woods. I’m fortunate to live a few miles
away from a public, but usually pretty private, natural area. Once or twice a
week, we load up the dogs and my camera to take a short hike in the woods. Even
though I already have hundreds of wildflower photos, I can never resist adding more to
my collection. This year I even photographed a new type of trillium, Snow
Trillium, I’ve never seen before, and also snapped dozens of photos of some of
my standard favorites like Hepatica, White Trout Lily, Dutchman’s Breeches,
Purple Trillium, Marsh Marigold, Blood Root, Bluebells, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and
many more. I hope to sneak another trip to the woods into this weekend’s plans.</span></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin: 12pt 0in;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VCelj3BGq0bUTLFOqE1bLFEz5txnRpGGG7NnntQtUZiuI-VFLIuK50AqWVvIpAXNuKZDHycs6CKzjMK_Fv1pVBdS8RLMDZzpS31pj346FbATGtjLgn89SsEOU-R95CTOv_lPw9KL01E/s1600/Woodland+129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VCelj3BGq0bUTLFOqE1bLFEz5txnRpGGG7NnntQtUZiuI-VFLIuK50AqWVvIpAXNuKZDHycs6CKzjMK_Fv1pVBdS8RLMDZzpS31pj346FbATGtjLgn89SsEOU-R95CTOv_lPw9KL01E/s400/Woodland+129.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Mayapple</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></span>Experiencing this pandemic has taught us many things, but
one of the most important is to make the most out of this simpler time by taking more time to smell and enjoy the flowers.</span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
</span>Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-48494673070404947092020-03-24T17:23:00.000-07:002020-04-15T18:39:11.000-07:00Civil War Reflections - By Brenna Powelson<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-14e991d1-7fff-e756-26b6-f95a2be51e76" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Through Lincoln’s Eyes </span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> America’s Bloodiest War - By Brenna Powelson</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-71af2bc9-7fff-a532-bcdd-e743d6af2e91" style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; white-space: normal;" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>America will not be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedom, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. – Abraham Lincoln</i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 1. 1865 - This ruinous bloody war has already been going on for four years, and my greatest fear is that politically I will be the last president of the United States of America, and the Confederate states would win their war for secession and that the Republic would collapse into a collection of micro-states. I feel as if I am leading the citizens of America astray and failing my country. The people don't deserve this, and our country doesn't deserve this, but the union must be preserved, the slaves must be freed, and this pestilential war must end; however, that is more easily said than done.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 21,1865 - </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I knew when this war started that lives would be lost, but what I didn't know was that many lives would be lost so quickly. The Battle of Bentonville lasted three long days. The Union army lost many: 194 killed, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing, for a total of 1,527 casualties. I am excited about the Union's victory; however, I don’t see the point when so many lives have been lost, and how much families have been separated. What hurts the most is the thought that wives might wake up tomorrow morning without a husband, and kids waking up without a father, who was alive just one the day before. My own boy, Robert begged me to allow him join the Union army and told me would never forgive himself if he let another man die while he did nothing. I was not over all thrilled with the idea, but if I said no, he would not forgive me, nor himself, so I agreed. However, his mother, on the other hand, was not so understanding. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">April 11. 1865 - </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is wrong with me? The war is won, my son is alive and well, families are reunited, the American people have regained their faith in me, and I have a speech scheduled today. However, there is a hole in my heart that empties inside of me. I feel the pain that I have been feeling since I was nine years old. I FEEL THE SAME PAIN I DID WHEN MY MOTHER AND SISTER DIED. I FEEL THE SAME PAIN WHEN WE HAD TO PACK UP AND MOVE TO INDIANA. And I suppose there’s no reason why I feel this way; it may be because all the lives that have been lost, or maybe because half the country is angry at me. Maybe I’ll try to feel better and celebrate with the Union, and Mary is talking about going to a play in a couple days. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">April 15, 1865, 7:21 a.m. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Pain, I feel pain. I can’t open my eyes at all, and all I feel is pain and the doctor touching my head. 7:22 a.m.- I have a quick burst of strength. I look at my loving wife, and I mumble my last words, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">``We</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> will visit the Holy Land, and see those places hallowed by the footsteps of the Savior,'' and then everything goes dark. </span></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-71af2bc9-7fff-a532-bcdd-e743d6af2e91" style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 20pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-71af2bc9-7fff-a532-bcdd-e743d6af2e91" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">According to a Soldier</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">America’s Bloodiest War - Brenna Powelson</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Freedom is the last best hope of earth - Abraham Lincoln </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;" /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">March 31 1865- As I look out onto the empty battlefield, all I can think about is the wail of pain from soldiers and the sound of gunshots. I look at the empty battlefield that used to be a patch of grass but is now a resting place for those who gave their lives. As we were walking back to camp, the other soldiers started singing, and the rest joined. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;" /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yes we’ll rally round the flag, boy’s, we’ll rally once again </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shouting the battle cry of freedom,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will rally from the hillside, we gather from the plaine </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shouting the battle cry of freedom!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The union forever! Hurrah boys Hurrah!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Down with the traitor, up with the star; </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While we rally round flag, boys, rally once again,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shouting the battle cry of freedom”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once we got back to camp, men settled into their tents, trying to comprehend what had happened today. The battle only lasted one day; however, we lost 1,870 men who risked their lives for their beliefs. We all knew when this war started that many would perish. This war was brother against brother, states against other states, one nation divided, and Washington vs. Richmond. President Lincoln said that all men are created equal, but the South refuses to agree with their president, so now, here we are stuck in the fourth year of this bloody war. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">April 9, 1865 - The Confederacy has surrendered. The Union has won. The fighting is done, and we all try to celebrate. I can’t help but think about all the lives lost, for people they didn’t know, so those people could be free.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">April 15, 1865, 7:38 a.m. - I just heard the news about Mr. Lincoln, and I can’t help but feel empty inside. He was our leader from the start to the finish of the war. Shot in the head while trying to enjoy a play with his wife to celebrate the end of the war, he was the one who should have been celebrating the most. Though Mr. Lincoln may have died, his legacy will never die. </span></span></div>
<br style="font-size: 16px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;" />Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8387837225222502462.post-55265692227306822492020-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:002020-02-16T17:00:17.289-08:00Clearly Focused<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjEzRwnLoz5ChR0Z5VAmDYRJcMIA5WZSTUg_AmqMl2CDNszph3OuBvlX6OrDVWlxnOEEpts00mBUBQY6YPXZIUEVXj_l54Tp4zVVaoaOkKGHKZEPp44DMD6HMYlG2EbgNPNTeelP_XLM/s1600/DSC_5237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjEzRwnLoz5ChR0Z5VAmDYRJcMIA5WZSTUg_AmqMl2CDNszph3OuBvlX6OrDVWlxnOEEpts00mBUBQY6YPXZIUEVXj_l54Tp4zVVaoaOkKGHKZEPp44DMD6HMYlG2EbgNPNTeelP_XLM/s400/DSC_5237.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After struggling with increasingly dry eyes and eye allergies that made wearing the gas permeable contact lenses I've worn for over thirty years become extremely uncomfortable and difficult to see clearly, I recently switched to wearing soft lenses. Even though I knew they were usually more comfortable for people who fought the same issues I did, I fought making the switch. My hard lenses helped to keep my vision stabilized for years, and they were easy to care for and pop in and out of my eyes. Watching friends and family take care of soft lenses, not to mention taking them out, I wanted no part of them. It looked like they were putting tiny pieces of Saran Wrap into their eyes, and I couldn't fathom how they took them out of their eyes. It appeared they pinched them right off their eyeballs! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxshx_h3nv1xDRaKfMj0Rcwui1GkqjdwsmZ-B_VKMhyphenhyphenwuGvheVI-yHe8_cLmVYYLRr7AifSYyv4T-5fGbhHtuvyCYVArMFGruOu2YPAH-LvfXWkyYVVtfXua_pD7I3JAgIMexA56AB1kU/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxshx_h3nv1xDRaKfMj0Rcwui1GkqjdwsmZ-B_VKMhyphenhyphenwuGvheVI-yHe8_cLmVYYLRr7AifSYyv4T-5fGbhHtuvyCYVArMFGruOu2YPAH-LvfXWkyYVVtfXua_pD7I3JAgIMexA56AB1kU/s640/IMG_5216.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've now had soft lenses for a month and still have issues some days putting them in and taking them out, but I have improved to the point, that if I am lucky, I can put them in on the first or second try. They still feel a bit cumbersome, ready to slide off my finger and into the sink if I don't balance them on my finger just right. But what a feeling it is to hold down my lower eye with one finger, center the lens in my eye with another, </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">(without blinking is key!) </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">then listen to the lens crinkle into place. When I hear that noise, I know vision in that eye will soon become sharply focused. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3I-ECAcF2hHi_RFa8Uz-tBdzBNEkHoirbPdVZ_6K9Ynpsyp0vjJIbxgzWLxbj41sDI89fGGwiLGggL08M3gRLJdAM7W-lHYetZOhqyCCK1lP0u4uGNQwhdQI8VoFLgXFZZReW5il2Mw/s1600/October+19%252C+2010+361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3I-ECAcF2hHi_RFa8Uz-tBdzBNEkHoirbPdVZ_6K9Ynpsyp0vjJIbxgzWLxbj41sDI89fGGwiLGggL08M3gRLJdAM7W-lHYetZOhqyCCK1lP0u4uGNQwhdQI8VoFLgXFZZReW5il2Mw/s400/October+19%252C+2010+361.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not only are things becoming increasingly sharply focused as I get used to caring for and wearing my new lenses, (after a couple of switches to my prescription, I can see great, and they are very comfortable) but my work in progress,<i> Leaf Peepers, </i>the sixth book in the Nature Station Mystery Series, is becoming more focused as well. I have chosen a well focused front cover image of maple leaves exhibiting bright fall color for the front cover<span style="background-color: white;"> and narrowing down images of a Lake Michigan sand dune for the back cover. The book takes place in the late summer, while my main characters are pla</span>nning an ecotour for so-called leaf peepers to view lovely fall foliage along the south to southeastern shoreline of Lake Michigan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The story still has a long way to go, (over 50,000 words to write!) but I am now at the point that not only do I know who dies, but also who killed him, and how and why it was done. It may seem silly not to have that all figured out before I start writing, but this is my process, and once I get to this point in the story, things click into place, allowing the rest of the story to come along quickly and more sharply focused.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since the main characters travel out of town, several new characters must be introduced and fleshed out to help Kristen Matthews and her amateur detective friends solve the mystery. After not being able to work on</span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Leaf Peepers</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> much for the past few months, I'm getting back to work and hope to have everything ready for an early fall release, since the story takes place over Labor Day weekend. This positive feeling is almost identical to the feeling I have when my lenses are in place and helping my peepers </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">see clearly.</span><br />
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Jannifer Powelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00485859648157489176noreply@blogger.com0