Saturday, April 11, 2020

Down in the Swamp

Last Tuesday when we were in Owen Sound to see the doctor we cheated a bit and detoured on our way home to drive down in the swamp.  One of our PSWs who drives this road regularly to see a client had sent me a picture of a Great Blue Heron standing among the trees (which I had posted a week previously).  So we drove down there to see if we could see it.

There was lots of standing water which is typical at this time of year.  The Sydenham River, a favourite with local fishermen, flows through this swamp,

Lots of trees were fallen or falling over.  It can take several years before a tree ends up hotizontal.

A few were already down, their roots torn out of the wet ground leaving a stump sticking up in the swamp, often sporting partial blankets of moss.

We drove down to the corner.  No Heron but then we started noticing the lichens on the tree trunks.  We drove slowly back north.  Still no Heron, but plenty of lichens!

After our dusting of the white stuff overnight yesterday (which had all dissipated by noon), it's a partly sunny day and reasonably warmish out today.  A good working day, so Mrs. F.G. is out there working at filling our new planters.  Our gardener is also here, much appreciated for the heavier work he can do.  He and his wife are the proud parents of a baby boy, one month old!  A Happy Easter for them, and to all of you!

For the Record - Friday, Apr. 10, 2020

14 comments:

  1. Sorry you didn't see the heron, but the swamp is definitely a very interesting bog to visit. Lichens are everywhere around here. Hope you have a quiet but satisfying Easter holiday. :-)

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  2. That's the trouble with birds - they can fly, and this bird seems to have flown. Happy Easter to you and lets hope there's not too much snow left to come.

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  3. i think a detour was needed, too bad you did not see the heron!! but the cheat = good for the soul!!! you don't have much snow left!!

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  4. Nice Detour with nice pictures.
    Wishing you both a Happy Easter.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the coming Spring Weather.

    It's about time.

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  5. A detour is always a good reason to see another view, and maybe next time that elusive bird will stay. Love the green grass with white blobs, here, we have green grass, and a few brown patches from last summer's dry spell.We continue in total lockdown, sadly, we now have had 3 more people die, all elderly and frail, 2 from a rest home, one in a public hospital, and with the lockdown, no family person was allowed to be with them, I am assured that the staff were exemplary in their care as a life ended. We can only drive locally to an essential service, and many vehicles have been sent home when found on a road not in their locality. Guess I need to find some fun fabric and play at the machine today. Easter Greetings to you both.

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  6. I love swamp areas...always so much to see. Specially when it gets warm.

    You two have a Happy Easter, too.

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  7. Well, not to feel bad about not seeing the Heron. I haven't seen one either this year. I love the mystique of swamps and love the moody photo opportunities a swamp presents. Trolls, Gnomes, Dwarfs, Pixies, and Fairies. They are all there.....in the swamp.

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  8. I saw a heron in London last year. From my seat on the bus! We were sitting at traffic lights at the junction of 3 major roads (including the A1) and suddenly a heron flew slowly past the window. I had never seen one quite so close before. And watching it struggle to gain height oh so slowly, I rather wondered how they can fly at all. Happy Easter to you.

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  9. The swamp is a spooky place, isn't it? I didn't know it took a tree a long time to fall in those positions. I do love the green moss in anotherwise dull picture.
    A Furry Gnome in a swamp would be quite bright too! :)
    Happy Easter to you and Mrs. F.G.
    I think your day was warmer than ours, maybe because we are up on the Ridge.

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  10. Wetlands are fascinating places, where we can often find species we can't find anywhere else. They don't fit with many peoples' desire for neat orderly places, but they're probably where life first emerged from the sea. Without wetlands we wouldn't be upright, thinking (although sometimes not so much) mammals.

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  11. In that swamp, a heron will blend in.

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  12. New births, new plants and a new season in nature. Oh, thanks to The Creator for the simple miracles. One of which is you and another is Mrs. FG.

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