Woodland Dunes

 Woodland Dunes – nature center & preserve

 

Yesterday there were a number of Whistling Swans resting in the lake just off the shore of Gardens at Waters East, and while driving into the city that same day I saw many more in a large pond off of the highway.  It is a sign of the migration happening.

And now - today's feature - Woodland Dunes.  Enjoy the walk.

 

Here is another wonderful place to visit and experience nature up close while enjoying a number of hiking trails, a viewing tower, wetlands, boardwalks and a great nature center for gatherings etc.  Plus hundreds of acres of preserve land and walking trails just across the street. The location of this nature preserve is on the flyway for many migratory birds, going North in Spring and retuning South in Fall.  Now being Spring – here is a place for viewing the dozens of birds moving north not far from Gardens at Waters East. You never know what you will see!

 

I think I know what this is, but not positive.

There are more than birds here for sure!

 

Located at:    3000 Hawthorne Avenue, Two Rivers, Wisconsin 54241

 

A few more photos to entice you to make the trip!

 

 

 

 

You can check out more information.  Type into search engine the total information below. 

 

Travel Wisconsin page @. 

www.travelwiscon.com/hiking-report

 

 

A Quote - - Snow

 I stumbled upon this quote the other day and it expresses my thinking and feelings exactly!

 

"There is one good thing about snow,

it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor’s."

-       Clyde  Moore 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring is Happening

 Spring is happening!

This week many of the birds have been returning to spend the summer here and others are just passing through on their way further north.  Nice to know they are once again in the area. There have been Robins, Redwing Blackbirds, Crows, Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, Chickadees, Doves, Common Blackbirds, Cardinals, Meadow Larks, Purple Finch and others.

 

Here are a couple of photos of some of them.

 

 

A sampling of a sunrise on one of the early Spring days.

Every morning is a “show” here at the shore.

 

Interesting, one day this past week March 13, 2024,

I walked out into the garden and to my surprise there was a raccoon sleeping up in a tree!

I think I woke him up.

 

 

Enjoy your days this time of year as we all get back into our gardens.

 

 

Memories of what has been – and will be again!

It is still the dead of winter though it has been a rather warm winter in this area.  I miss all the many blooms that happen here in the Spring, Summer, and Autumn.  With that in mind, I took a “memory walk” around the gardens this week while recalling the plants that have been here, and will be retuning again this year.

Stonewater Beach at the gardens.

One of many visitors to the gardens.

Believe it or not, there are hundreds of cultivars in these gardens.  I was amazed when I sat down with my “log of plantings” here and discovered that there are hundreds and hundreds of different cultivars.

 

Concolor Fir and Coneflower

Cecropia Moth

 

My pride and joy are the more than 1000 daylilies I have hybridized that exist nowhere else on Earth except here in the Gardens At Waters East, except for the three home in Guatemala and the four homes in the USA with which I have shared some of the plants.  They are pretty special and unique.

 

Since this year is a leap year and we all get an extra day - - Thursday the 29^th of February, I thought we could view a few extra plants from the gardens. 

 

Sunrise over Lake Michigan

Enjoy a few more,  “snapshot” of flowers here.

 

Sunset looking EAST over the lake - reflection/

Who is living in my birdhouse?  When.