Foresty

March 21: International Day of Forests

"Forests, pillars of global food security and nutrition, are the livelihoods of millions of families. 

They provide essential foods such as fruits, seeds, roots and wild meat, fundamental resources for indigenous and rural communities."

❤️Love to visit forests and woods!❤️

Seven Lakes Nature Center
Dryden, Michigan
March 19, 2025

Tenhave Woods
Royal Oak, Michigan
January 27, 2025

Lake Saint Clair Metropark
Harrison Township, Michigan
December 13, 2024

Cascades at Glen Helen Nature Preserve
Yellow Springs, Ohio
November 24, 2024

Anything that any of us can do to help preserve the flora and fauna of forests around the world is worth it!

Take only pictures, leave only footprints

~AND~

Thank you for the Birthday and Pommy good wishes!

Another Thing

So, I did another thing...

This is the artwork that my tattoo guy used on Tuesday.

Will take clear pics to share, after the wrapping comes off and some healing happens.

My Swee Wee, in her tiara and reclining upon an open book.

Before my appointment, I enjoyed a walk through my favorite natural landscape, Tenhave Woods, in Royal Oak, Michigan, and snapped a few pretty things:

Trillium
Am pretty sure these will be white, but they could be red.

Bloodroot
The red sap is used as a dye.

Trout Lily
The speckled leaf pattern reminded someone of a fish!

Also met a fellow nature-lover, who was watching for birds.

She pointed out a hawk not far above our heads.

We compared tattoos, our love of libraries, and had a delightful few moments of chat.

😺😸😺

P.S. It's The Hubby's Birthday today, but he doesn't want to hear the 'b' word!

It's lucky that he doesn't read this blog.

Happy Birthday, dearest, and may you celebrate many more.

😽😽😽

Earth Day

Join the World’s Largest Environmental Movement.

As Earth is the only planet with cats that we know of, why are we treating her so very badly?

💕🌏🌎🌍💓

Last weekend, I visited one of my favorite locations, where one can breathe deeply, enjoy the wildlife, and look at the pretty Spring ephemeral flowers. 

Yellow Trout Lilies
Erythronium americanum
Click on the image to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle.

Growing wild at Tenhave Woods at Quickstad Park, Royal Oak Michigan

Let's Hop!

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Color

I am drawn to colorful things.

Multi-colored, swirls of color, rainbows of color!

Lucky for me, my Prisma phone app never lets me down.

Today, I offer two images: the first, of Paddy O'Malley in glorious color.

Click on the image above to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle!

Click on the image above to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle!

 A dear friend, however, has mentioned that she prefers artified nature scenes.

Therefore, I also offer this fern image, taken when on a native-to-Michigan fern walk at Tenhave Woods, in Royal Oak, Michigan last week.  

Honestly, I only stayed for about half of the instructional walk, because the mosquitoes were too much for me.

Enjoy!

Let's Hop!

Click on the badge above to visit Athena Cat Goddess Blog!

Owl Be Seeing You...

Last Friday, my brother and I went on an Owl Hoot!

At Lake Saint Clair MetroPark, in Harrison Township, Michigan, we attended a brief lecture about native owl species, then wrapped ourselves in hats, scarves, thick coats and boots to traverse the trails in the dark.

Our MetroPark guides had recorded Screech and Great Horned Owl calls, which were played here and there within the forested area.

Not only did a Great Horned Owl return our calls, but we could see him 'way up in the treetop!

It was nighttime, so there wasn't much to photograph, except the stuffed owls on display:

Screech Owl

Barred Owl

Snowy Owl

See?  My wee camera wasn't a match for the darkness!

AND THEN!

Saturday, I went on a Autumn Color Walk at Tenhave Woods in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Due to lots of rain and cold (the snow didn't hit until Monday...), our seasonal color is mostly gone, but walking around with knowledgeable tree, bird, and fungus experts from The Royal Oak Nature Society was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot.

Interesting leaves

Witch Hazel blooms

Although pretty, these berries are from an invasive non-Michigan plant that will be pulled out in the spring.

I enjoy this park, which is less than two miles from my office.
I visit often on my lunch breaks.

Here's a jigsaw puzzle!

We have another owl event this Saturday, where we will visit living owls at Stage Nature Center in Troy, Michigan.

We are fortunate to have such resources nearby.

To My Surprise...Thrice!

The Spring weather here in Michigan has been changeable, to say the least.  In spite of that, I was able to visit Tenhave Woods Nature Trail on my lunch hour.  Some photos:

Wakerobin, a trillium

Bloodroot

Troutlily

Please forgive me if the plants are misidentified; I looked them up on a couple of wildflower websites, and my friend CE id'd the wakerobin.

To my surprise, after enjoying the woods and the flowers and the chippies and the sunshine, to meet up with this adorable kitten!

Kismet, and dad

Kismet's dad is habituating the eight-week old rescue kitten to walk on a lease, and they were practicing near the woods!  Is this kitten seriously adorable or what?!?

That night, I walked the neighborhood, and my half-way-round boyfriend Sly showed up.  He was being so adorable, that I sat on the driveway...legs outstretched...and snapped photos of his floofiness.

Maybe Sly knocked me over with his cute, and I didn't realize it?

While so engaged, a car pulls up, and the man asks if I am okay.  He thought that maybe I had tripped and fallen!  LOL!  Guess they didn't catch the camera/phone in my hand, and Sly rolling on the ground in front of me.  The kindness of a stranger; that's a surprise!

After that, I kept walking.

Surprised for the third time,  a tabby kitty in the bushes ran over to me, and let me pet her!  I've not seen her before, and she was wearing a collar that read, "Annie Smith" and a phone #.  

Annie

 What a great day, to my surprise!

***