Stella and I went for a ride over to the Natureland Park off Hwy 89 and Lake Lorraine Rd. It was a mild day, the temps were up from yesterday, a few clouds were breaking, letting the sun come out to warm my jacket.
We got to the park around 12:00 and I parked Stella at the end. Listening to her tick as I shed first my helmet, then my jacket and gloves, I took my time reflecting my purpose for coming.
I set off down the trail to the water. What I saw before me literally brought tears to my eyes. An island out in the middle of the lake, was white with the bodies of perhaps 100 White Cranes, in nests in the trees, and flying about. I never knew we had a nesting area at that lake. We see Blue Herons often, over by the pond, and did see one White Crane last summer, a bachelor, perhaps.
I know you can't see, poor cell phone quality, but believe me, it was a sight for sore eyes 8-)
I had just found the spot, when a small hawk flew overhead, calling a greeting at my arrival. He circled overhead and finally came to perch in a nearby tree, curious at this intruder.
Out in the water, a dead tree provided a good vantage point for Kingfisher, but from the looks of some of the fish, he surely must be waiting for smaller prey.
There were paths that led around the inlet, but I didn't have my hiking boots, so I went just to the second bridge along a footpath, and saw some beautiful first blooms of Spring, Buttercups, growing along a small stream that feeds in from the nearby hills
This impressive Spruce overlooks the picnic area, a grand testament to Wisconsin's many diverse seasons. I could barely make out pine cones near the top.
I had visitors while I sat at the picnic table.
I didn't know spiders can dance. As I sat watching, the black spider in the upper left corner began doing this funny little dance: with slit-second timing, he reared his butt up, and spun around in a quarter turn. Then he bounced up and down, then repeated the move a couple more times. Thinking he was trying to look threatening to some unseen intruder, I dismissed his antics and went back to my musings. A couple minutes later, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye, and watched in amazement as he virtually lifted up and sailed off on an invisible jet stream, like a tiny paraglider on the wind. I soon lost sight of the tiny Kamikaze, and smiled to myself at the comedy of Nature.
This has definitely become my new favorite spot, and will visit often, during the week. I imagine the weekends will be somewhat crowded as the Summer People start flocking to their summer homes around the lakes.
It was a good day, with the help of some good music by Robbie Robertson, Walela, and Rita Coolidge.
I think I caught a sigh in the trees, from my dearly missed lost friend, E~
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