Category: Dune Ridge Trail

Tick, Tick, Ticking….

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To the casual observer the Great Marsh at the Indiana Dunes does not look much different from winter. But if you look close, you can see the beginnings of Spring emerging here and there. And if you stand still, quietly looking and listening… you can almost sense the impending spring bloom ticking… soon, very soon, there will be an explosion of colors all over the marsh. On this day, you could feel it.

(Click on any picture to see it full size.)

It had rained the night before I hit this trail. I always look for mosses here, they respond so quickly to the moisture and the way they hold on to the water is always fascinating.
The hairy edged leaves of emergent Lupine hold the water in the form of beautiful droplets.
Pussy Willow blossoms add small touches of intense color to the largely muted pallet of early spring down in the marsh.
Earlier in the year I watched a controlled burn being conducted in this part of the marsh. Now we see the first vibrant shoots of green and orange rising from the burn.
This particular area reminded me of “leafy greens” you buy at the grocery store.
Not everything green is soft and inviting. These things are every bit as nasty as they look, trust me on this.
Earth Star fungi are as beautiful as they are odd. This one has already released its spores and has disconnected from the rest of the fungus.

More Cold And Rainy

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Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to the early spring bloom and the warmer weather that are creeping up on us. But there is just as much beauty in nature in the cold and rainy weather of late February and early March. There are so many sharp details that stand out now, which will later be lost in the lush greenery to come. And the way that a soft, cold rain coats everything is different than in other seasons.

You can click on an image to see it full size.

Yes, I was making a pun about Sharp Details. But right now all the thorny vines and stems are clearly visible, and very impressive as well.
There are large tangled patches of these bad boys all over the park. In a couple months they will be much less noticeable, unless you venture off the trail in which case you will quickly find yourself shredded by them. Just one of many reasons you should always stick to the official trails.
Not everything is harsh and thorny in appearance however. There are plenty of softer hints of spring to be seen.
When I saw this particular scene I was drawn to how the water interacts with different parts of the plant. Beading up on the emergent fibrous parts, while smoothy coating the rest.
The thin layer of water adds a richness and depth to the colors of the outer parts of the plant.
I enjoy how these clumps of cottony fibers catch and hold water in small droplets in intricate, swooping lines and patterns.
Viewed close up, these little puffs look very similar to the webs of ground spiders which will soon begin to emerge. I always find it fascinating how such similar patterns appear throughout nature, at different times and from different phenomena.
Once the hard, non porous surfaces accumulate enough water you get beautiful single droplets of water just hanging around. On a day when the rain is light and there is little wind these droplets can grow large enough to show interesting optical effects.
The hanging droplets of water redirect light in such a way that they appear to contain perfect, inverted copies of their immediate surroundings.

To me there is no one season, or type of weather which is best for enjoying being outside. All times and conditions are equally beautiful. Nature simply has an endless supply of things to see and experience for those who go out and look. So while I am looking forward to spring, I am in no way waiting around for winter to end.