Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for August, 2014

DSC_0019   I had planned to go fishing, but sinus pressure was a little burdensome early in the morning. However, as the morning moved along I decided to take a woodland hike at a local state game lands.                                                                    DSC_0028

I listened to some friend’s CD we all created as I traveled to the parking area. The music had me keeping time with my fingers on the steering wheel!

 

Boneset

Boneset

The wildflowers are over abundant along the trails. The most common flowers are the ironweed;  the, up to eight feet high, Joe-pye; Queen Anne’s Lace (Wild Carrot); Boneset; Jewelweed and many others. My dad told me of his family making Boneset tea years ago.

DSC_0042

The butterflies and bumble bees were common any place the flowers were exhibiting their beauty. Unfortunately, honey bees are scarce everywhere!

Hornet!

Hornet!

 

Blue Vervain

Blue Vervain

I visited a pond where I saw about six carp digging up the shallows. Maybe, I should have gone fishing!

At one area, I found some turkey sign. Some soft stool from a turkey was attracting about a dozen flies. A white-faced hornet kept busy trying to catch one. He failed in all attempts while I watched. I remember, as a kid, how I was intrigued watching hornets catching flies around my granddad’s farm. It doesn’t take much to thrill me!

DSC_0041  On milkweed I noticed a colored beetle. Unfortunately, my aging brain can not remember the specie, but I remember, again as a kid, seeing many of these behind the house. I thought how beautiful the beetle was then and I still do now. (Looked up the beetle: It is the Dogbane Leaf beetle.)

Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia

Read Full Post »

 

Crooked Creek Lake

Crooked Creek Lake

A quick decision, the evening before, had Laurie and I, hiking the Laurel point Trail at Crooked Creek State Park on August 25. This park is located south of Ford City, Pennsylvania.                                                  DSC_0003

The trail is around two miles in length. The path follows along Crooked Creek Lake, but one can’t see the waters for most of the walk.  The trail, also, loops around at the end and any hiker will come back and walk some of the original path through the woods on their return.

DSC_0006   One will walk, initially, through meadow and wetland-like areas. These sites have plenty of flower species to view.  We could hear many annual cicadas here. Locating the insect can be difficult in spite of their mating noise. Other areas have various pine species and deciduous woodlands. Scattered about are some mature oak, beech and white pine as well.                                                       DSC_0018

We crossed Coal Bank Hollow at one point. I had hunted spring gobblers with, my friend, Kip Feroce near here in the past. He has a hunting camp nearby.

Millipede

Millipede

The entire venture took us over two hours to complete. We saw two deer and the usual bird life and chipmunks. We stumbled onto a hornet’s nest. The occupants were very nice to us and allowed passage. Lots of various fungus and toad stools are growing as September closes in on the year.

Read Full Post »

Bull Thistle

Bull Thistle

We are past the mid-way date of August. Summer will be giving way to another autumn season sooner than expected. This summer of 2014 has proven to be a rainy season. We have had numerous days where rain has fallen and sometimes very heavy. I had one back yard flood that was not the norm. We have not had any ninety degree days as of this date. I like that! The Allegheny River flowing through the middle of Armstrong County has had chocolate-colored water for several months too. This has been an interesting season.

Ironweed

Ironweed

Yellow Jewelweed

Yellow Jewelweed

Gardens are doing well and wildflowers are too. I enjoy the beauty of wildflowers. Summer wildflowers are usually much higher from ground level as the early soring flowers are. In April and May the sun easily reaches the forest and field floors allowing for blossoming closer to the ground. However, as the grasses grow and the leaves occupy the upper canopy of the woodlands, wildflowers have a need to shoot higher to avoid being crowded out.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace

The Jewelweed is an interesting plant. The stems are hollow and the flower is usually found near wetlands and water sources. As a kids, and sometimes as an adult, I touch the ripened seed pods to watch them explode. the seeds fly all over. We have the yellow and spotted varieties locally. Hummingbirds enjoy the flowers as well.

A beautiful wildflower meadow.

A beautiful wildflower meadow.

Spotted Jewelweed

Spotted Jewelweed

There are a number of thistle species here in western  Pennsylvania. The beautiful flowers, however, have small spikes along their stems.

Primrose

Primrose

The Ironweed has a deep purple color. It grows well along water sources too.

The Queen Anne’s Lace is an interesting flower. Each flower, prior to blooming, is shaped as a bird’s nest. Another thing to look for is the small deep purple center of each blossom.

Always a sign of autumn’s approach are the goldenrods. One can see fields of yellow at times from this specie.

A Goldenrod

A Goldenrod

Read Full Post »

Over the last several months I have been engaged in a music project. The project consisted of working with my friend, Al Mechling. Al is owner, along with his wife Marla, of Mechling Bookbindery  north of Butler, Pennsylvania on Route 38. The business deals with books and restoration and bookbinding. Their web site is: http://www.mechlingbooks.com

Marla Mechling Photo

Marla Mechling Photo

However, back to the music project details. Al, and myself, worked on making a CD entitled, “Songs from The Heart.”  Al did all lead vocals on this country-styled endeavor. My task was to arrange and place the various instrumental tracks prior to his vocals. I played all guitar parts, bass guitar and did some piano and keyboard tracks as well. Al’s daughter, Melissa Lauer, performed the piano work on an old classic called, “The Last Date.” The CD has over eighty tracks on it with twelve songs recorded. This equated to many hours of work!

Al is greatly involved in the MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION and he is donating all proceeds to this organization.

A special introduction was included on this accomplishment by Ashley-Anne Stump. Ashley-Anne is a special young lady to Al. She has benefited from Al’s dedication and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Anyone interested with a purchase can go to:  http://www.mechlingbooks.com/product-p/cd100.htm

 

Read Full Post »