A Walk to Cedar Pond, November 2, 2021

We voted on Tuesday. The polling place was halfway between home and Charleston Falls so I decided to walk on the trails..  

I stopped to take photos at the entrance.  Cinda and the park staff dedicated a brick to Tom and me, and  one to our friend, Pat, who was also a naturalist trail guide for the parks.  Hercules and Azalea were Cinda's dogs who took special training so they could come with her to the park for programs.  I don't know Molly.

A woman out for a walk also stopped and took a photo of me behind the two bricks. I was pleased.

People call these "Brown-eyed Susans".  They are part of a memorial to John Wannamaker who was a longtime trustee on the park district board. They were blooming beside the entrance to the trails.

I met a group of young students who were spending the day learning about the park. 

Just beyond them was a path to the left.  That path led to my destination, Cedar Pond.  I supposed that the Red-winged blackbirds would have headed south by now.  I was right.  It was quiet at the pond.

This Red Cedar was covered with berries.  There will be food for the birds this winter.

                              

Red Cedar Berries.  The berries are blue.

                                              Cattails

                                          Bottle Gentian

Across from the pond is a prairie.

The sunshine lit up the grasses.

And it lit up other plants as well.

I saw this leaf in the middle of the trail.  I laid it in the unmowed grass.  I hope whatever is spending the winter inside will live till spring.

As I walked along I spied a limb and its shadow...J for Joy...exactly what this day was.