Walk at Charleston Falls, August 31, 2013

While Jeanne, her dogs, and I were walking and talking at Charleston Falls, Tom was looking.  He took about fifty photos.  These are a some of the ones he saved.

Jeanne and I walked to the falls so Tom took the other path and walked/rode to Cedar Pond.

Beyond Cedar Pond is a planted prairie.

The Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman)  is showy and full of color.  It grows from 3 to nearly 10 feet tall. (1-3 metres)

Because of the shape of its seed heads, it is sometimes called Turkeyfoot.

There are many varieties  of yellow daisy-like or sunflower-like flowers.   Here is Prairie Dock, (Silphium terebinthinaceum).  It grows 4-10 feet tall.  Gernerally, it is taller than the surrounding Big Bluestem. The leaves may be two feet across.  One of the children I took on a hike told me the huge leaves feel like her dad's chin in the morning.

Closer photos of the flowers.

Below is another yellow flower.  Notice that the yellow petals are arranged differently and the center is also different.  This is Tall Coreopsis.  Coreopsis tripteris grows 3-9 feet tall, and looks deceptively delicate.

The complement of yellow, purple,  is also in the prairie.  This is Ironweed ( Vernonia) which also tends to be tall. (4-10 feet tall.)

Some of the flowers are a bit past their prime but the overall effect is beautiul.

Tom took these photos as he neared the end of the maintenance trail.  He set his camera to take one photo at the setting the camera automatically chose and also a photo one stop lighter and a photo one stop darker.  I like all three.