Sunday Snapshot: Red Amaryllis

Red Amaryllis in Window

Red Amaryllis Closeup

Red Amaryllis by Georgia O'Keeffe, 1937

Fall Fungus

On my Marble Rock hike, I encountered an array of fungus species. The most easily identified was Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor), which was plentiful around the bridge crossing the little creek. There were patches of Turkey Tail between the slats of the bridge and around the stump at its end. For more about Turkey Tail, see Stumped, my October 2nd post.

A very pretty fungus was growing on an old birch log on the forest floor. It was an eye-catching green, but it didn’t start out that way. The fruitbodies of Cerrena unicolor are white to pale grey or brown, but often turn green because of algal growth. It is a type of bracket fungus with shelving, overlapping fruitbodies. Cerrena unicolor is widespread and common and is typically found on hardwood stumps and logs.

Another colourful fungus appeared to be leaking out of a tree stump. Orange Jelly (Dacrymyces palmatus) is common and widespread and fruits on dead conifer logs and stumps.

Finally, as I was walking through the pine plantation, I noticed a host of brown mushrooms growing in plentiful numbers amongst the pine trees on the forest floor. Such undistinguished (to the unaccomplished amateur’s eye) mushrooms are had to label, but this may be Tricholoma myomyces, a fungus that is widespread and common. It fruits under conifers and usually appears late in the year, after the first frost.

Snow Geese

In Ontario, the term snowbirds is used to describe people, often retired seniors, who avoid the cold northern winter by migrating to the warmer climes of Florida and other sunbelt destinations each year. This weekend, while driving through rural countryside south of Ottawa, we spotted several huge flocks of the real thing: Snow Geese!

Snow geese (Chen coerulescens) are a cosmopolitan species, and the most abundant goose in the world. It is rare to see them in southern Ontario, however, as they breed in the far north and winter in the south. It is during the migration season that they are most likely to be spotted, often feeding on waste grain in agricultural fields while en route to their wintering grounds. The large flock made quite a spectacular sight, blanketing the ground in white.

Snow geese come in two morphs, or color patterns. White adults have black wing tips and pink bills, with a blackish ‘grin’ patch. Their feet and legs are pink. Blue-morph adults have a white head and upper neck while their bodies are dark bluish-grey. They may have white tail feathers and varying amounts of white on their belly.

It is the Lesser Snow Goose (Chen coerulescens coerulescens) that is seen in Ontario. They breed on the coasts of Hudson and James bays and winter in the mid-Atlantic states and south to Mexico. Snow geese form lifelong pairs while on their wintering grounds and can breed into their twenties. On their breeding grounds, the geese form large colonies, with each pair defending a small area around their own nest.

Ross’s geese (Chen rossii) are a less common breed that often share the Snow geese breeding grounds and join them in their migrating flocks. Ross’s geese are very similar to Snow geese and also hybridize with Snow geese, making them difficult to identify.

December Full Moon

The full December moon is called the Cold Moon. That seems a little obvious, at least here in the north. Winter is generally well underway by December. But this year, that’s not the case. We had a little dusting of snow the other night, but it melted quickly. On December 2nd, the day of the full moon, the temperature was up at 40° F (5° C) at 11:00 AM as measured in a shaded area out of the sun. And it was a pleasant, sunny day. Just a little blip in routine seasonal variation? Or a symptom of something more frightening?

This December will have two full moons. The second occurs on December 31st, New Year’s Eve! That will be a cool way to start 2010. Blue moons are properly said to occur when there are 4 full moons in a season. By this measure, the next blue moon is November 21st, 2010. However, it is also commonplace to call the second moon in a calendar month a blue moon. So, if you’ve got something you only get around to once in a blue moon, get ready because that day is coming soon!

Hiking Marble Rock, Part II

Yesterday’s post followed the Marble Rock trail out to about the halfway point. I had climbed onto a ridge and then down and then back up onto a second ridge and down to wetland level. Now the trail started to climb again. The woods had a bit more of a maple/ hickory/ beech mix and less oak at this point. The trail zigzagged back and forth over a little stream. Fortunately, the stepping stones were secure. It would have been cold getting a soaker!

At one point, I came upon this bridge. It didn’t look too promising and I stepped onto it rather gingerly, but it proved to be sturdy.

A male Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) was searching the trees for a meal. Hairy and Downy woodpeckers are very similar in appearance and can primarily be told apart by their size, with the Hairy being the larger of the two species. A few Black-capped Chickadees flitted about the branches as well.

After a pleasant meander through the woods, the surroundings grew more open as the trail climbed to the top of the third ridge. By now, the sun was beginning to dip and I was glad to be well on the way back to the car.

As I reached the peak, another beautiful panorama lay before me.

Across the valley, an open cliff face provided a good look at the underlying strata of rock. The Frontenac Arch was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere in November of 2002. It covers some 2700 square kilometers in the south eastern portion of Ontario. This area has a unique blend of biodiversity because the moderating effect of the Great Lakes allows some plant and animal species to survive here that are typically found farther south, while at the same time some more-northerly species are drawn south by the rugged granite landscape of the Canadian Shield.

On the south edge of the clearing, the old foundation of an earlier building remained. I was a bit surprised to come across it as it didn’t seem like agricultural land. Later, I read that during World War I, quartz that was used for early radios was produced in the area, so perhaps the foundation was from a building associated with that industry.

The trail led east from the foundation and sloped gently down until it reached a large pond, the water that could be seen from the very first lookout at the beginning of the hike.

To avoid wet areas, the trail jogged to the right and entered a plantation of pine trees.

The floor of the pine forest was cushioned with a thick mat of pine needles. As the trail returned to the mixed deciduous forest, I noticed this spot where a small creature, probably a chipmunk had a tunnel. Outside the hole was a pile of the neatly-cracked shells of hickory nuts.

I knew I was nearly back at the parking lot when I noticed a sure sign of civilization: a garbage dump.

Pheeew. As the sign at the entrance to the trail promised, it was a strenuous hike. I was happy to get back to my car and sit down, especially as the light was quickly slipping away as the afternoon faded into evening. It was a beautiful spot, however. I really enjoyed the rough terrain offered by the granite outcroppings of the Frontenac Arch. While the woodlands are no doubt lovely in the spring, hiking in the fall had the advantage of opening up the great views, which are probably partly obscured when the trees are dressed in their summer leaves. Another time, I would be sure to take a thermos of coffee for a halfway-point break!

Hiking Marble Rock

Last Saturday was a pretty day, sunny and bright, and if not exactly warm, unusually mild for the end of November. We can’t expect too many more such days this year, and I decided to take the opportunity to go for a hike at Marble Rock, about an hour west of here, near Gananoque. My interest in this trail was piqued by descriptions that emphasize the scenic lookouts. The terrain is very different there than what is found throughout most of southern Ontario as it lies in the Frontenac Arch, an ancient granite ridge that links the Canadian Shield of northern Ontario with the Adirondack Mountains in the south.

I got a later-than-planned start on my hike as I ran some errands on the way out to the trailhead, arriving about mid-afternoon. Of course, a hike that promises lookouts is bound to involve climbing. The trail map at the entrance to the trail warns that the hike is moderate to challenging with rocky slopes and steep hills. The trail follows two loops. As I was starting out rather late in the day, I just planned on doing the south loop.

The deciduous trees have lost their leaves, but the ground cover showed that the forest was dominated by oak trees, with beech trees and a few maples mixed in. Shagbark hickory trees could be spotted by their rough, flaky bark, while a smattering of white birch trees were also conspicuous among the evergreens.

The trail begins climbing right from the parking lot. Soon you are walking through large boulders and moss-covered rock walls. There is no green quite like the vivid emerald of moss, highlighted by the afternoon sun. Especially at this time of year, when much of the forest is drably-coloured, the moss stands out.

Lichens also were well-represented on rock surfaces.

Although the woods were quiet, there was evidence of bird life. Nests were visible amongst the bare branches, and here and there, trees displayed signs of woodpecker work.

The first promised lookout was quickly reached. The view looks southwest.

The trail continues north along a ridge until you can look north over a large pond and wetland.

Then, it’s downhill, to the water’s edge.

The trail follows the eastern edge of the pond, scrambling over the rocky shore, and re-enters the woods.

As I trampled through the leaves, a few insects flew up, including a very late dragonfly, who settled on a rock.

It’s a male meadowhawk, likely a Yellow-legged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum), often the last species on the wing in cool northern climates.

Then it’s back to climbing, up through the forest to the next ridge. Along the way, little heaps of acorn shells mark where a forest dweller has enjoyed a nutty meal.

The second ridge runs east and west and offers a view over a second wetland.

Gradually, the hike leads down to the edge of this wetland, a large, expanse of cattails and brush and grasses, with a branching stream of water flowing through it.

Three trees set out in the open area contain the nests of a heron colony. Perhaps because there are only a few large trees, each one supports multiple nests, a sort of heron apartment complex. At this point, the trail begins its long curve west and then south, the halfway point of the hike. To be continued…

First Snow

Last night when I went to bed, it was raining. This morning when I looked out the window, the first light dusting of snow greeted me. Winter, having stuck his foot in the door, is trying to force his way in. Big, damp flakes continue to fall, but it doesn’t look like this will be Winter’s day to prevail. The snow is beginning to melt. What a change from Saturday, when the bright, sunny weather tempted me outdoors for a hike. More about that tomorrow!

Bibliophilia Monday: Thought You Were Dead

Thought You Were Dead by Terry Griggs. Biblioasis, 2009.

Chellis Beith hasn’t had an easy life. Deserted by his mother on the counter of Lloyd’s Burger Stand in a Sorrell boot box, he was adopted by the quirky Rennie. Now Rennie has deserted him too, walking out of his life forever when she prematurely buys the farm in a motorcycle accident. And then there is the love of his life, Elaine, his ex-next-door-neighbour who married someone else and just wants to be ‘friends’.

Chellis stumbled into his occupation by accident. He is a literary researcher for a popular mystery writer. Normally, Chellis’s job isn’t too demanding, leaving him lots of time to loaf and hang out with his pal Hunt. Quite suddenly, Chellis’s life takes a turn for the weird. His employer, Mrs. Havlock has disappeared. Then Hunt is hospitalized with a heart attack. Then, his long-lost half-sister, someone he never had any inkling even existed, shows up on his doorstep. Then, his birth mother waltzes into his life. And where is Mrs. Havlock anyway?

There is a fun storyline behind Thought You Were Dead, and a satisfying ending. However, it is the witty, unrelenting banter that drives this novel. While the storyline tends to falter under the weight of the dialogue, there’s no skipping pages to see what happens. You’d miss too much fun!

The dialogue has a little hiccup when Chellis reflects “It was his impression that the general populace could care less about their forebears and would be only too happy to be shot of their present family.”
What? What? Could care less? If this seems okay to you, you need to drop by Grammarian’s site and read I Could Care Less.

However, things pick up a few pages later when Chellis is stopped by a cop who returns his wallet:
“That’s why I was following you, to give it back. And to check for a body in the trunk. Suzie said you were acting suspicious. Impersonating a detective, for one thing.”
The little prick. “I was suspicious, I’ll be wanting to count my cash. Or do you mean, suspiciously?” Save the Adverb. “I do sometimes act that way. Girls like it.”
Aha. Addressing the Ly unemployment rate. Gotta love it.

Sunday Snapshot: Misty Morning

Misty Morning

Trees

Misty Pond

Barn and Tree

Apple Cider

One of the most charming of American tall tales is the story of Johnny Appleseed. Many versions exist, but one of the nicest is Steven Kellogg’s picturebook. [Johnny Appleseed: A tall tale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. Morrow Junior Books, 1988] Kellogg’s colourful illustrations bring the story of John Chapman to life. There really was a Johnny Appleseed. He was born in Massachusetts on September 26, 1774. He left home as a young man and finally found his way west to Ohio, still a wilderness frontier. There, he began his life’s work, planting apple orchards.

Johnny cleverly realized that as settlers arrived on the frontier and began to build homesteads, there would be a market for apple trees. Indeed, a law required settlers to plant fruit trees on their property as part of their commitment to the new land. Once Ohio began to become “crowded”, Johnny moved on to the wilds of Indiana, where he continued to clear land and plant orchards. Johnny never settled down himself, but led a rough, outdoors life. Gradually, stories and legends about his adventures and deeds also took root. When Johnny Appleseed died, in 1845, he left a significant estate, some 22 parcels of land, planted with orchards.

As his name suggests, Johnny Appleseed planted, not grafted apple trees as nurserymen do now, but apple seeds. Apple trees don’t grow true to seed. That is an apple tree grown from seed can be quite unlike its parent. As Michael Pollan points out in his book The Botany of Desire, by spreading apple seeds across the frontier, John Chapman gave the apple the gift of diversity. He made it possible for all sorts of apples to grow, and those trees best suited to the climate of America were then propagated by farmers. Most of the trees that John grew wouldn’t have had the plump, juicy fruit we munch on now. Rather, many would have been small, bitter apples, not good eating, but fine for making cider. As Pollan notes, what John Chapman really brought to pioneer settlers was the gift of alcohol.

At one time, cider was a very popular drink in America. Even children drank cider, as it was sometimes safer than the water, which might be polluted. Cider could be cheaply produced by anyone with enough space to grow a few apple trees. Prohibition and the temperance movement changed all that. While beer and spirits rebounded after the end of prohibition, cider never regained its earlier popularity in America.

The first time I drank cider was in England, where it remains popular and is readily available. Indeed, my old grannie introduced me to cider as it was her preferred drink. Cider is probably the easiest alcoholic beverage for a new drinker to enjoy. It has a pleasant, mild flavour and an alcohol content similar to or a bit higher than beer. Today, cider is fairly easy to come by in Ontario, but in spite of the fact that there are lots of apples grown here, the cider is usually an import from England. Strongbow is quite common, although there are a couple of other brands available.

The only Canadian brand regularly available is Growers, which is produced in British Columbia. It is made with Granny Smith apples, which is a bit ironic as Granny Smith is an Australian apple. Growers is a very sweet, sparkling cider and is quite like drinking pop, apart from the 7% alcohol content.

There is a bit of a cider renaissance underway, and perhaps more varieties of cider will be available in the future. One that is produced not too far from here is Waupoos Premium Cider. It is more like the British ciders than Growers is. Waupoos is produced in Prince Edward County, near Picton, Ontario. For more on cider, visit The Palate Jack.