Makin' Vitamin D

sun dappled dry creek bed in the spruce plot

portal

It was another perfect day for the woods.

I spent 2 hours out at the Morton Arboretum today, spending time on both the east and west sides of the park.
Unfortunately, it was very crowded, and there were few times during my visit that I was able to be alone with the woods.

I had the good fortune of spotting several varieties of birds, including a hawk that even my hawk expert on-line friend can't identify.

There was also an indigo bunting, eastern blue birds, cedar wax wings, goldfinches, some kind of prairie warbler, and a humming bird.

I spent the most time at the Schulenberg Prairie restoration project. That was the area that was the least crowded with people, and had the fewest mosquitoes!

It was also definitely the area that was the most abundant with life.

There's a creek that runs through the prairie, and down into the oak savannah that neighbors it.
I hiked out into the middle of the prairie, and stood in the high grass, near the water, and counted among my companions there big blue stem, bee balm, fox glove. There was also elecampane, blazing star, bundleflower, culver's root, prairie burdet, cup plant, snake root, butterfly weed, and several other plants that I know, but could not remember the names for.

As the creek bubbled past, I stood in silence, listening to the bees, which were huge, and abundant, and watching a squadron of dragon flies, hard at the hunt.

A tiny warbler sat atop a scrub bush of some kind, and sang and sang, not caring one whit that I was standing there, soaking up the sun, and listening to him with a smile on my face.

Once the sun got to be a bit too hot for me, I moved along and followed the creek into the shade.
There, the joe pye weed stands taller than me, swaying in the breeze.

I didn't know that humming birds like joe pye weed, but they do! I stood, again, for a long while, stock still, in the shade.

Male gold finches landed at the water's edge, down the slope at my feet, and bathed furiously, as I watched a hummer work the joe pye.

Oblivious hikers passed by, and scared everyone away but me.

I waited, and allowed the silence to return...and the finches came back, and continued to fluff and preen at the water's edge. They were SO cute!

The hummer came and landed only about 2 feet away from my face, preened for a moment, and then took off chasing another of the gold finches.

It was a lovely time...the funniest moment was in the car, when I felt as though there was something walking on my forehead, so I looked into the rear view mirror. There was a large beetle on my face! It startled me enough to reflexively sweep him away with my hand. He was not injured, though, and I laughed as we both regained composure, and he flew back out the window.

I didn't really want to come home, but I'd been there 2 hours, and I had spent a little too much time out in the direct sun, with only bug spray on my skin, and no sun screen.

Trying to relax today, after the excitement of yesterday. I accomplished a lot, finding a renter, and starting that process, and then cleaning out my closets and dresser, filling 3 large trash bags with donations for the Amvets drop box.

Walked the donations over to the drop last night, in the dark, and came back home. Exhaustion took me over then, and I took a bath and went to bed.

Insomnia was my fate, though....

SO...now that I'm home from the woods, and full of vitamin d, I am going to go take a nap!