Indian Pipe Colony Site

Well, the ravine is a perfect site for sighting many unusual things; both flora and fauna. During our leisurely trek through the ravine this morning we saw few birds this day. The previous days, wet and windy, seemed to keep mosquitoes at bay, but today, with little wind, and the dampness attempting to dry out - thanks to more prevalent sun than what we've seen of late - the mosquitoes appear to have been vastly encouraged.

They're tiny and black and elusive; not like their larger counterparts earlier in the season so lazy we're easily able to knock them off. They were there in veritable clouds today, eager to consume as much of our blood as they could. And come to think of it, they didn't do too badly, thinking purely from the perspective of, say, Anopheles quadrimaculatus. Black flies insist on their pound of flesh; mosquitoes their flask of blood.

The creek is down to normal level, although its many tributaries are still running whereas normally at this time of year they're completely dry. We're enjoying one of those rare (this summer) days with a fully clear sky, and reasonable warmth; not too hot, not the cooler temperatures we've experienced throughout this early part of the month. Nice, very nice.

Interesting to note that because the minor waterways are still full of water, the largest of the ravine's willows, a venerable specimen, has been affected in a really strange way. We've noted in the past that where willows are present close to water, we could see, in late summer, odd-looking stringy, bright-red growths at the edge of the water, and our scientist-son told us they're tree roots.

We were amazed to see today tiny threads of red being extruded down low on the trunk, from the bark of that huge old willow; a really peculiar phenomenon. Late summer has also brought us the bloom-period of goldenrod, and the nodding plumes brighten the landscape, among the Queen Anne's lace, the sunflowers, and the asters, all newly in bloom, synchronizing with the season.

And purple loosestrife as well! There are still some daisies in bloom, and plenty of fleabane, and as well cornflowers and cowvetch, so we've a very nice array of wildflowers to please our aesthetic palette. Another interesting discovery is a colony of Indian pipe, hiding delicately yet robustly in the underbrush.

Trudging through the woods, avoiding the mushy trails when we can, there is still much to be seen. Frilly-edged pink mushrooms, some of which have been pulled up by squirrels and their edges daintily nibbled. Large white caps as well, and those we'd just as soon avoid; the saucer-sized grey-blue fungi that look like a plantman's morgue.

Nature glories in all the manifestations of her largesse. She plays no favourites, it would seem. Nor perhaps should we, but we do, oh we most certainly do.