Graham Creek Nature Preserve

We took advantage of the nice weather to go see Graham Creek Nature Preserve (in Foley) for the first time.  (Click through the slideshow above, if you'd like to see the rest of my photos.  Donald took some, too, but we haven't processed those, yet.)

Our verdict:
It's not spectacular-- no stunning waterfalls or other breathtaking views--  but it offers a nice little nature hike.  Also, it's still under development, so it should get only better with time. 

We took the 3-mile walking/cross country trail, and that was enough to remind us that it still gets warm in the middle of the day in September-- just enough to work up a good appetite for lunch.  There are a few "open-air" picnic tables, and there are probably more under the pavilion, but we didn't look.  (There were already cars parked there.)  The picnic area was a quiet, peaceful spot in the shade.  Of course, this was a Friday morning in early fall; it might be less quiet and peaceful on summer weekends.  ;o) 

Oh, and before I forget, the trail we took was very easy.  There was one wet spot near the beginning, but other than that, nothing remotely difficult.  Very level.  Wide pathway.  Mostly shaded (but that depends on the time of day, of course).  Grass cut short.  The grass was a little taller in the parts of the trail that skirt around the open field, but not terrible. 

A good part of the trail involves walking around the edge of that huge field.  I wasn't sure how I felt about that choice.  It seems a little boring-- but on the other hand, you have a view instead of being closed in on all sides by pine trees (as you are for a short portion of the trail).  Upon reflection, I think it provides some interesting variety from the typical "forest hike".

In addition to the walking/hiking trails, there's a 7.5-mile bicycling trail, lots of streams for canoeing/kayaking, a (developing) frisbee golf course, a small play area for children (also looks to be developing), a large open field (or two) ideal for kite-flying, and a very nice "bog" landscape where there were many pitcher plants growing. 

(Sidenote:  If you're interested in seeing pitcher plants in our area, I'd recommend the Graham Creek Nature Preserve over Tarkiln Bayou.  Maybe we've just had bad luck/bad timing with Tarkiln, but they never seem to have nearly as many pitcher plants as this place did-- and here, instead of being on a railed boardwalk, you're right on level with them, which is nice if you want to get a closer look or take photos.)

The preserve is open from dawn until dusk-- but someone had a little pop-up tent set up, so I guess that camping is allowed.  (Not sure...) 

There's no entrance fee (yet).  

It looked like they had fairly nice restroom facilities, but we didn't check them out.  Still, nice to know they're available!

We saw a couple groups of people working while we were there-- one building something (no idea what) near the entrance and another setting up obstacles for a special running event that's coming up soon.  (The "Creek Crawl".  Click "Events" on the page linked above for more info.)  Not long ago, they had another run-- something about zombies, where volunteers dressed as zombies tried to tag the runners.  (No thanks, but can you imagine the adrenaline rush of running from someone?  ...Knowing that they're not actually going to hurt you would keep it from being a nightmare, but being chased/grabbed at would still kick those legs into gear.)

I'm interested to see how the preserve grows and changes.  We could use more places like it!

Once-in-a-Blue-Moon Post

I'm slowly but surely editing and uploading (to Flickr) photos from our July trip to Sweden.  Still not done, but getting there...

One of the latest is this photo of Donald standing next to a huge ant hill by the side of the long driveway down to his parents' place:

It's not a very good photo (for some reason, Donald is underexposed, so it looks like a not-very-well-done cut-and-paste job), but I promise that I didn't do anything to the photo except sharpen it and adjust the colors a little (to make him look a little less like a ghost (g)).  The ant hill really is that big.  There were lots of ants going up and down the road.  ~shudder~ 

Donald says that in Sweden, ant hills can stay in the same place (though under constant repair, I would imagine) for years.  There was another, smaller hill down closer to the lake, and Donald says he remembers that one being there when he was a kid-- so 30 to 40 years ago-- and it's still in the same general spot.  That's just amazing.  I don't think ants would do that, around here.  Maybe if they live out in the middle of nowhere, with no people trying to get rid of them, they'll stay in one location longer, but I get the impression that "our" ants don't settle down in one spot for decades.  Even if they get a really big "bed" established, sooner or later, a storm will wash them out (or maybe an animal will disturb them)-- something happens, and they'll move on to another place. 

There are more (and I hope better) photos in my Flickr photostream (link in the sidebar).  :o) And more still to come!

90/365 - Nest

A bird's nest in one of the birch trees near the shed at the back of the yard...

79/365 - Blueberry Bush

Lots of blooms on this blueberry bush!

77/365 - White Iris

This iris treated us to three pretty blooms this spring. 

75/365 - Fog

A foggy morning...

72/365 - Clover

Pretty patches of clover are growing near the pond. 

69/365 - Twilight

Looking away from the sunset and over the roof of the house (for a change).

66/365 - Willow Oak

Down at the pond (and around our yard, and everywhere), trees are gearing up for another spring and summer.

65/365 - Pretty Day

We have to enjoy them while they're here!

64/365 - Pear Blooms

The spring flowers are all abloom, around the yard.  In our yard, that's azaleas, this Bradford pear, Indian hawthorn, blueberry bushes, camellias, daffodils, spirea, the tulip tree, the loropetalum... and maybe more things that I'm forgetting at the moment.

63/365 - Pond

We walked to the pond.  I took a photo.  As it turned out, that was the only photo I took for the day-- and so we end up with this as my Photo of the Day.  Impressive, isn't it?

60/365 - Sunset

Just enough clouds to make a beautiful sunset.

50/365 - Nearing Sunset

A walk to the pond.

12/365 - Oak Leaf

There's still the odd colorful leaf clinging to a branch, here and there.  This one happens to be clinging to a tree that we've (most unkindly-- and unsuccessfully) tried to do away with.  Why is it that the tree you want to remove persists in springing back up again, while the sapling you've taken a special interest in gives up the ghost at the slightest inconvenience?

Autumn

Turtle

Donald snapped a couple of photos of a turtle we found on a walk down to the pond last week.

It was crossing the power-line clearing, headed west.

Wonder where he* was going... and if he* got there on time.  ;o)

* Or she?   I don't even know for sure what kind of turtle this is, much less the gender. 

Meaher State Park

Just some snippets of our walk on the boardwalk at Meaher State Park, set to "Beyond This Moment" by Patrick O'Hearn.



(This video is available in HD on Vimeo.)

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds from Michael on Vimeo. (You can watch it in HD over on Vimeo.)

This is just a little video of hummingbirds at (or around) the feeders hanging by our patio.

The occasional squeaking you hear is coming from the hummingbirds (but not necessarily the one in the frame).

From what I've read, the ruby-throated hummingbirds with white throats are either female or juvenile males. The juvenile males begin to show greyish streaks-- or even the occasional ruby feather, here and there-- on their throats, late in their first summer (or early fall). By the time they come back north, most of them should have the full throat of iridescent, ruby feathers.

The ones we've been seeing are mostly juvenile males, I think, with maybe one or two females in the mix. I've read that the adult males migrate first, followed by the females and juveniles, so that explains why I haven't seen a really ruby-throated bird lately.

Random Topics du Jour

Here's this Monday's handful of random topics: porch patio swing, hummingbirds, & local trails.

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Donald finished and hung the swing last week-- well, finished except for one more slat across the top that's more for decoration than function. We were short one board (or at least one deemed straight enough to use on this project), so one of these days we'll get one, paint it, and attach it. It works just fine as it is, though, and we've been enjoying it. I find sitting outside so much more pleasant when I'm in a swing than in a plain chair-- or even a rocker or glider. Swinging is just better-- a more soothing motion.

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We recently noticed a hummingbird checking out our flowers, so we dug out our feeders, filled them, hung them from the patio arbor (or whatever the proper name for that structure is), and have been enjoying hours of entertainment. There are usually at least three of the birds in the area, hovering in mid-air, perching in a nearby cypress (or on the fence or a shepherd's hook), fighting fiercely for use of the feeders, weaving around obstacles at break-neck speeds, and making their funny squeaky noises. They definitely earn their sugar-water with the amusement and sense of wonder they provide! (We even saw one eating a mosquito the other day. Now that's the way to my heart-- rid our yard of those horrid mosquitoes!)

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Thursday, we had a little outing to a few local spots we'd never visited before.

First, we tried the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge-- particularly, the Jeff Friend Trail and the refuge's portion of beach on the Gulf. The trail was nice enough, but the mosquitoes were positively awful. We spotted them almost immediately and sprayed ourselves with repellent, but I guess that wasn't enough, because they were still landing on and biting us-- sometimes right through our clothes.

(I cannot express how much I hate mosquitoes. I mean, I know no-one likes them, but I have a special loathing for them, because I'm one of those unfortunate people who seem to have a special attraction for flying blood-suckers. I don't know why, and I probably don't want to know why-- as I suspect it's nothing good-- but the nasty little monsters find me every time.)

The mosquitoes cut down on the pleasure of the trail. Maybe it'd be nicer later in the year... Fortunately, the second half of the trail seemed less of a mosquito haunt than the first half had been. I managed to take a few photos, instead of giving (more of) my crazy lady impression (swatting at seemingly invisible assailants).

The beach was... the beach. We didn't stay long because it was hot and we hadn't planned (or packed) for a day on the beach. It might be a good spot to go if you want to avoid crowds at the more familiar (more popular) stretches of beach, but the trade-off is that there's no public restroom.

Later, we checked out the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, which is actually a whole system of trails through the wilderness just north of the busy beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. We only walked a small portion of the trails available, but I was very impressed. Apparently this is a fairly new project. I think the trails (at least one of which follows what was once an old, disused road-- Highway 182) were christened just a couple of years ago, and there is still more work planned. The trails we walked (Twin Bridges and part of Catman Road) were very nicely paved-- ideal for biking or rollerblading-- and of course for walking, too. I find that it's so much easier to not worry about stepping on snakes when you're on a wide, paved path. ;o)



The only possible complaint I can see is that some of the trails (or combinations of them) would be pretty long walks-- especially considering that they're not loops. That's probably not an issue for cyclists, but casual hikers might find some of them a bit much. I guess you just have to walk until you're approximately half-way exhausted, so that you'll have enough stamina to make it back to the car. ;o)

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised, and I'm glad to know of another local spot for hiking and photography.

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It seems like there were other things on my mental list of blog topics, but they've disappeared...

(For those interested, there are more photos of the trails and the new swing on my Flickr photostream.)