If your heart is burdened come, to the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail and feel the healing flower power.  The soothing outbursts of form, color and texture will soften the rough edges in your mind and bring you peace and calm.

Resurgent lymes symptoms knocked me off my horse after the Whitewater Oak Opening burn and I was temporarily blinded to the beauty of life.  Yesterday was the first time in two weeks that I felt “normal”.  The antibiotics are helping my body heal but it’s flower power that is healing my mind.

Columbine at the Hotel Springs bridge.

Large-flowered Bellwort just around the corner.

Kitten Tails and Pussy Toes near the Emerald Springs spur boardwalk.

Wood Betony and Marsh Marigolds.

This is a perfect time to see a huge variety of woodland flowers at The Springs!

 

Sleeping seemed like the best option for a while there, but I willed myself back into action last Monday.  Siddhartha taught me to listen to the river and Jayne Jenks, with the Waukesha County Parks and Land Use, taught me how to test the water’s quality.  I’m now part of the Water Action Volunteers — Citizen Stream Monitoring team and happy with my site on the Scuppernong River, where it crosses Hwy Z, just downstream of its confluence with the South Branch.

I stopped at The Springs on my way there to re-girdle some of the aspen near the hotel site.

Carl Baumann was there removing a huge, dead, black locust that had broken off and was leaning into a cherry tree and hanging over the south end of the trail.  Thanks Carl!  Our friend Marty came back with his skid steer loader and smoothed out the tracks he laid in the mud this past spring.

Wednesday was my first real day back at work and I was pretty light-headed and emotionally unstable by the end of the day.  I started with the chainsaw on the south end of the trail, where I want to extend the sand prairie and continue opening up the “big sky” views out towards the Scuppernong River Habitat Area.

 

I’ve been focusing on garlic mustard lately, but I need to cut buckthorn to preserve my sanity…

… and balance!

I spent the afternoon whacking garlic mustard on the south end of the loop trail.

When I woke up yesterday, I was raring to go — back to my old self!  I started with the buckthorn near the parking lot on Hwy ZZ.

You’ll be able to see the sun setting over Ottawa Lake as you return to the parking lot when I get the rest of this mess cut.

I spent the late afternoon cutting garlic mustard north of the hotel site.

The views of the north side of the river are outstanding.

I missed the sunsets!

Out on the marl pit.

See you at The Springs!