Category Archives: spring

A New Crabapple Becomes a Beautiful Tree

May 22, 2022 Troy

One summer day at work, I was told about a crabapple tree that was going to be thrown into the compost because the top had been broken so it wasn’t able to be used for our customer. I asked if I could have it? It was a nice tree and with some care it would likely be just fine. So I brought it home and planted this little crabapple in a perfect spot for us to enjoy. With a little trimming that winter, this new crabapple would be ready to grow into a healthy tree for years to come.

The next spring it leafed out with a few blossoms, but spent more of it’s energy into growing and recovering from being planted. While it was only seven feet tall, we were just excited it survived the winter and was full of leaves. Just keep growing little tree!

When spring arrived the next year, our little crabapple had lots of beautiful, fragrant flowers bringing smiles to our faces. Over the summer, a change for our family would be made. We had decided to move into a different house to fit the needs of our family. One of the hardest parts of that decision was leaving this tree behind. I convinced my wife we could transplant this tree as long as we did it once the leaves had dropped for the season. It had become a healthy and vigorous little tree in a short time and would very likely be able to handle the trauma of being uprooted and replanted. So that’s what we did. That fall, just before this house was sold, a friend came over and we dug this tree out and replanted it at our new house.

The next spring it leafed out once again and began growing. Releaf! Over the next few years our little crabapple had adapted to these new surroundings, continued to grow and provide amazing beauty and fragrance each spring. We couldn’t believe how much it grew each year. Some of those years were cool and wet while others were hot and dry. Yet this tree just kept growing.

Some years there weren’t many blooms to fill the air with its calming aroma, but we enjoyed it still. Our little tree had some challenges during these years but continued to grow and flourish into a mature tree. This spring it put on such an amazing show as it has become a full sized tree reaching over thirty feet in height. We could never have imagined what it would become over almost 20 years its been in our lives. What a special gift for us!

migration, spring, Troy's Blog, wildlife

Spring Duck Migration is Underway

April 30, 2022 Troy

It was one of the few nice days so far this spring. There was a lot to do at home but my camera kept whispering my name. Ignoring it at first, I continued on with my list of things to do but as the day continued, the call became louder and louder. Admitting I had not really used the camera much in awhile, I finally decided to accept the continual suggestions and head out to an area park. Knowing it would probably be busy as many people wanted to get out and enjoy the beautiful day, I thought through where I would go. After much thinking, I decided on a park a little further away hoping the ice would now be off some of the smaller ponds and wildlife would be starting to make their way north.

Pulling into the county park I had chosen, the parking lot was surprisingly open. There were several vehicles there but people were returning from their hikes and leaving. This should turn out to be a quieter adventure than I was expecting which would be nice. Now parked I switched my shoes to warmer boots since I was expecting to sit in one location for some time and the ground was still cold. Grabbing my backpack holding the camera gear and some warmer clothing should it be needed along with some food, I began my hike to the pond. Along the way I decided to travel through a small forest in search of mushrooms. They weren’t showing a week ago and today was no different. One more stop to the prairie along the way to check for Pasque Flowers. They were beginning to grow now and would be in full bloom soon. Now on to the edge of the pond which I could see the ice was gone and ducks littered the surface.

Meandering through trees at the edge of the pond I found a nice spot to perch in between two larger trees. The camera was set upon my tripod and I was ready. With all of this activity the ducks had moved to the farther end of the pond but I knew they would be back in time. Trying to remain mostly still I just sat and observed these waterfowl for awhile. Eventually they began to venture back to where I was sitting gathering food for their journey to their northern nesting grounds. Ring-necked ducks were the first to work their way closer and I expected to see these here as I’ve seen them a number of times in years past. Mixed in with them were a few Buffleheads which I wasn’t really expecting but happy to see. A couple of Pied-billed Grebes swam back and forth. While trying to capture a few images of them, a Ring-neck pheasant took off from right in front of me. I had no idea he was even there. How could I have missed it? What was even more surprising was it stayed that close to me for nearly an hour before scrambling to the air. That’s not typical for a pheasant. Of course there were the expected Wood ducks and even a few coots. As the sunlight was began to fade, a Sandhill Crane decided to land at the edge of this pond, probably for the night.

I had enjoyed this afternoon out photographing wildlife but the sun was now at the horizon and with it, my light for shooting wildlife. Packing up I was hoping to witness a colorful sunset. I climbed to the top of a nearby hill and watched as the sun continued to dip under the horizon. There wasn’t much of a show except for one small area in the landscape and I wasn’t in a good place to photograph it. Beginning my hike back to the car, the clouds on the opposite horizon began to produce a soft, pink glow. A beautiful way to mark the end of this wildlife adventure.

While walking I began to wonder if the owl I had photographed in this area a few times last year was back. There was no sign if it on this trip. I returned to the car now anticipating the warmth of the engine. Cold had started to return to the air with a stronger breeze pushing it through my clothes. With a slight shiver I began drive home with a smile having enjoyed an increasingly rare afternoon in a park.

Photos, Seasons, spring, Troy's Blog

The First Flowers of Spring

April 24, 2022 Troy

The calendar says it spring but there have not been that many spring like days so far this year. An occasional warm and sunny day but those have been followed by many cold and windy days bringing freezing temperatures and coatings of snow making it feel like spring has not begun. One early sign is pussywillows beginning to bud out. While out looking for sings of life to show spring was indeed on the way, the only thing I came across was a few bushes of willow beginning to show swelling buds. I’ve tried to photograph these before without much success but that doesn’t stop me from trying. This day was no different with dark, overcast skies keeping birds roosted and other plants still dormant. The only real spring opportunity seemed to be this pussywillow.

I do enjoy seeing these and often remind me of Spring Break trips with the family as they would often begin blooming just as we were preparing for a vacation together and would be well along in the blooming process once we returned. One of subjects I’ve wanted to photograph during those years was the actual flowers of these willow shrubs but really didn’t have an opportunity to do so. This seemed like a good time to attempt such pictures. Cutting a branch from one of these bushes, I took it home and set it up in a vase. Within a day they were beginning to open further and show all of their tiny flowers. Having this branch out of the wind made it possible to really get close up and see more of the details of these blooms.

We’re so use to these being just little balls of white fuzz but there’s a lot more going on as they continue to develop and you can examine them closer. Their little yellow anthers begin to emerge and are quite interesting. There’s not a lot of time as they continue to develop quickly and in a short time begin to release all of their pollen, drying up just a short time later. With fresh blooms you can have a chance to see this process but it will all be over in a short time so don’t forget to keep an eye on them. They are beautiful with more than just fuzzy little white balls. It was nice to finally have a chance to photograph these early spring flowers and capture more of their beauty.

Adventures, Michigan, spring, Troy's Blog

Spring Break Road Trip

April 25, 2021 Troy

Several months ago, while looking over the calendar, we noticed our girls had time off for Spring Break about the same time. This seemed like something we should take advantage of since who knows how many more times we’ll have the opportunity for a family Spring Break adventure. The plan was to go for an extended weekend somewhere within 8 hours of our house. Weather would help dictated which direction we went. As the week arrived we looked at a few different options and decided going to Badlands National Park seemed like the best option during Spring Break. We would leave Wednesday morning and return Saturday afternoon. Tuesday afternoon I checked in with a family friend who has some property in Central Michigan and found out they would be there for the week. Originally they were expecting to be gone a few days before Spring Break but things had changed a little. Talking with the family we decided a change in plans was in order and that the next morning we should head east instead. Tuesday night the car was packed and ready to go to Michigan.

Wednesday morning we were on the road by 5:30am eagerly anticipating our Spring Break adventure. It was a rainy start to the day which was expected to follow us throughout the drive east. As we got into Wisconsin, daylight began to fill the sky. With increasing brightness we could see fog filling many of the valleys providing interesting scenery to start the day. By lunchtime we neared the Wisconsin-Michigan boarder stopping to stretch our legs and getting something to eat. Returning to the road we soon crossed into a different time zone where we lost an hour entering Michigan and began to follow the top of Lake Michigan. The sights in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan kept us entertained with the road trip beginning to get long and going on hour number 8. Another hour and we were at the Mackinaw Bridge.

We had heard about this bridge from several other people but had never seen it ourselves. It’s certainly an engineering feet to see and drive on especially in an area that freezes during the winter. It’s interesting to drive on as one lane is metal grates which feel weird to drive over while the other is a cement deck. Crossing the bridge, we made another stop to explore Mackinaw Island which was mostly closed down since it’s more of a tourist place and it was too early for them to be open. Over the next few hours we continued south now that we were on the east side of Lake Michigan arriving at our destination. A little town on the shores of Lake Michigan in the central part of the state. It was a nice drive but we were happy to get out of the car. As a bonus, it was partly sunny with temperatures in the mid 70’s.

Exploring, Photos, spring, wildlife

An Early Spring Day

April 12, 2020 Troy

With many people taking shelter in theirs homes, the need to get outside for a little change is needed more and more. Fortunately getting out for a walk is encouraged when possible causing parks to be very popular places now. I’ve been able to explore a few places nearby on weekends and I’ve never seen these places so busy. Parking lots are full beyond capacity and signs of people out in nature are visible on many trails with napkins or tissues littering the ground. Whether it’s intentional or accidental I’m not sure. Wildlife must be a little confused on why their normally quiet places are now over run with people out wondering through. Hopefully they can still manage to find calm places as they prepare to raise their newborns soon. While joining these people out visiting nature, I’m reminded of why spring is such a great time of year to view wildlife.

Typically things become a lot more active as birds are migrating north and other creatures are emerging from hibernation. In addition leaves have not yet sprouted making them easier to locate. You can almost see these creatures enjoying a beautiful day taking in the suns rays finally warming up after enduring many cold months. While perched next to my car trying to find a little warmth myself on this cold morning, it was 19 degrees when I arrived, I noticed a large bird take off from a dead tree that I hadn’t noticed before. It flew a short distance and landed on the ground acting kind of like a Northern Harrier Hawk to me. A few minutes later it lifted from the ground returning to its form perch. By this time I had the camera pointed towards it capturing a photo of it landing again. When I went to view this picture on the camera screen I was surprised to identify this bird as a juvenile Eagle. Another surprise when viewing this picture was that another Eagle was also perched in this tree on a branch below.

Watching these Eagles for awhile became less interesting as they just stood their doing what appeared to be a whole lot of nothing. After awhile I caught movement in the sky above me which turned out to be an adult Eagle. I focused the camera on this Eagle in the sky and watched as it approached these two young birds. With appeared as though it wanted to land on this same tree which seemed a bit strange to me as Eagles tend not to want to be that close to other birds during the spring and summer. With only a quiet sound it came in for a landing and the two juvenile Eagles took off. Almost as if the adult was telling the young ones to get out and do something you lazy birds. They began flying around circling the adult a few times and then disappeared. As I continued my drive a little while later, I found these two lazy birds perched in another tree away from where the adult was. It brought a smile to my face thinking that Eagles have to motivate their young from time to time also.

Earlier in the morning I stopped to explore a prairie area looking for the earliest spring blooms of a Pasque flower. It was my goal the week before, along with finding colorful mushrooms, but I did not succeed in locating a plant in bloom as it was a bit too early yet. The trail had some heavy frost on it confirming the cold entering my hands and nose. It was beautiful but not the awe inspiring frosts I’ve seen before. Again I must be too early. No sign of the beautiful Pasque flower even thinking about raising it’s light purple blooms towards the sky. My short hike continued through the prairie without seeing any signs of life but still enjoying all the birds chattering in the trees nearby.

As I continued on my journey through the park I encountered some Sandhill Cranes. These are such fascinating birds to me and I just love watching and listening to them whenever there’s a chance. During the fall migrations through this same area there will be thousands of these birds congregating together but now they mostly stay in pairs warning other cranes this is their territory at the moment. My first indication that other cranes where flying nearby was the head raising squawks of those on the ground I was watching. Fortunately I was able to capture such a moment as two Sandhill Cranes were crossing the road in front of me.

Those cranes continued on into the nearby wetlands where they’re commonly found pecking here and there at what must have been things to eat. They made a wide circle around me eventually continuing on to wherever it was they wanted to go. Meanwhile I just stood next to my car glancing now and then in their direction and occasionally lifting my camera to capture a shot. My goal is to disturb wildlife as little as possible so I try not to chase after them attempting to get a better picture. I would rather miss a shot and let the animal stay calm when possible. Patience is often rewarded as these cranes paused in some nice sunlight allowing me to grab a few photos of them before they moved on. I could have stayed here all day just watching and listening as the animals continue to meander around.

spring, Troy's Blog

First Signs of Spring

April 4, 2020 Troy

I’ve heard, from people who make Maple Syrup, that as the season for collecting sap from Maple trees comes to an end the colorful mushrooms begin to emerge. I decided to go hunting for them to see what they look like. And hopefully come across a few other interesting pieces of nature. After walking a few miles and watching a couple of migrating ducks I spotted some red mushrooms hiding in the forest floor. Actually, wild Turkey’s uncovered one for me. Walking through the woods a flock of Turkey’s surprised me. As turkey’s do, they quickly ran over a hill and out of site. Once I reached the area they were scratching at when I first saw them, there was one of these red mushrooms attached to a stick which had recently been uncovered. Once the first one was spotted, it became easier to find others. As long as I was wondering around Maple trees I could usually find at least a couple of these Scarlet Cup mushrooms hiding amongst the fallen leaves.

At one point, there were an abundance of them so I began to collect some of the nicer looking ones and set them on a white shelf mushroom as you can see above. It seemed like a more interesting picture than attempting to capture their orange-red color clinging to the ground like in the photo below. Once I was done taking pictures of the Scarlet Cups, I returned them to their places among the forest floor. A nice success and sign of spring as many of the other signs seemed to be still hibernating.

Gaining Life Experience