Yes, the stubborn ice has finally melted off of the boardwalk trail and the trail has been reopened to the public. The debris that was laying on top of the ice, or trapped within the ice, is now laying on the boardwalk. Be especially careful of your footing in these areas. There is one substantial area on the long side of the loop trail between the Sitka spruce and the Brooklake spur and two smaller areas on the short side of the loop between the Brooklake spur and the owl bench. Pleae be careful in these areas.
Destroyed pussy-willow branches have been piled up on top of the bitter cherry between the old cabins and the meadow. Several smaller trees or branches have fallen in the area of habitat restoration near the hawthorn tree.
The Marckyx commemorative stone is completely hidden beneath the fallen branches of a crab apple tree.
Although the boardwalk trail has been reopened to the public, the orchard trail and the trail around Marlake are still impassable. Even though you can't get down the orchard trail because of fallen trees and branches, you can skirt around the blocked areas by leaving the trail. You cannot do this on the Marlake trail. The fallen trees on the Marlake trail leave you with no option other than to turn around and go back the way you came.
Even though you can't get down the orchard trail, it may be worth the time to go over there and check out the area around the tree-fall anyway. I've been seeing an enormous number of birds over there, entire flocks actually. Today, the area was alive with dark-eyed juncos, black-capped chickadees, Steller's jays, Bewick's wrens, spotted towhees, varied thrush, and robins.
Mallards are arriving and pairing up. Between the two lakes, I saw mallards, ring-necked ducks, American wigeons, buffleheads, and hooded mergansers, plus I saw a red-winged blackbird not far outside of the park.
Here and there I heard frogs croaking their love song. "Croak".....here I am, darling. "Croak"......I want to share my love with you. "Croak"....I long to feel your cold, wet, lumps and bumps.....next to mine. "Croak".....join me in the underbrush, Sugarpie. I need your love. Gonna dance tonight! Eggs soon? Who knows? I spotted the first ones in February last year. Could spot eggs any time now. You better believe I'm looking!
Even though I was concerned about whether the false-bleeding-heart would survive, because that entire area is pretty well crushed under downed limbs and debris, I spotted some tiny new leaves of bleeding heart poking up through the ground today. Yay! Last night, the weatherman warned us not to let ourselves get too excited about this sudden streak of warmer weather because we could really have some serious weather ahead of us. Still, brand new false-bleeding-heart leaves are making an appearance. How can I not do my little Snoopy dance of joy?
When wood is newly cut, it has the most amazing color! This photograph comes no where close to doing this dying branch justice. The color of their life-force takes my breath away. Red hot oranges and warm golden glows light up the usually drab browns and greys of a winter wetland. Death and decay and life and beauty and re-birth all mixed up in one.....that's the nature of the wetland.
With a goodly number of crazy blue birds thrown in for comic relief.
Get out there and enjoy it while you can! The signs are down and the boardwalk is open.
Teri I. Lenfest
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