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Rural Grove State Forest Alan and I made a speedy trip to our veterinarian's office yesterday for some medicine for Rosie On the way home he took me on a half-hour detour through the Rural Grove State Forest where we stopped at a spot where beavers had dammed the road, rendering it impassable. It was a marvelous place. Dragon flies of half a dozen sorts zig-zagged around us, red ones that darted like flaming arrows, huge olive-green and light blue ones that flew in perfectly straight lines like the Black Hawks that fly up the valley....Black and white ones....dozens of fragile damsel flies mating like crazy. ***Alan had to take this dragonfly photo as he had boots and I didn't. The rest are mine.

There were frogs galore, the shoreline sounded like a shooting gallery as bull frogs plummeted into the water ahead of us. A great blue heron lumbered away in slowly pulsating flight. Cedar waxwings, some kind of fly catcher...probably an Eastern Kingbird, whirling in circles high in the sky..the whistling wings of some rapidly departing mallards. Lots of tadpoles and something big that was swimming just under the water, shaking the heck out of the bushes and plants. Could have been a beaver, maybe a muskrat, or just possibly a really large fish. It was too far out to be sure. The road, after the beavers worked their construction miracles upon it So peaceful..... ***Click for collage detail There were interesting plants and herbs. See the boneset and the swamp milk weed? Rushes are round and sedges have edges, or so Alan's college teacher used to tell him. We saw lots!

It was an interlude of wonder and delight that I won't soon forget....just a few miles from home, yet I didn't even know it was there. It would be fun someday to put the canoe in from the road and cruise out to see what we could see.

Posted by threecollie at 10:35 AM Labels: Playing Hooky, Road Trip, Sons



Yep! thanks for stopping, lovely beaver building.

wv - sacker, what you become if you aren't a slacker!
 
What a lovely area. Thanks, Beavers.
 
And I'll bet you had it to yourselves.
Country living has some huge benefits.
Peacefulness is not the least of them.

Now I'm gonna wade in her about those dragonflies and if no one contradicts me I'm home safe :)

Blue dasher
Widow Skimmer
Meadow Hawk (the red ones)
 
and that would be 'wade in HERE rather than wade in HER !
 
I never knew Rural Grove was a state forest! I thought it was a little hamlet there by the side of Rte 162!
 
Earl, I love little wild visits like that...so refreshing

Jan, we wonder what is on the other end of that road....lol

Cathy, not a soul around! I have no doubt you are right about the dragon flies, I wish I could see better (have to take the glasses off to use the camera) and fast enough to get pics of them. They are so lovely

June, yeah, well that too. lol I think of it as kind of a vaguely defined region that has a nice firehouse. Trust the kids (who party there) to find such spots.
 
I'll be so glad when October is here and we can get outside and back to our local parks.
 dayphoto said...

A short little day trip...just what is needed to put all the worries behind you.

