French Creek is a DNR wildlife area that is in the southern part of Marquette County and partly in Columbia.  If you use the parking lot off of 14th Road, there is a long road in the wildlife area that you can walk on.  I saw a fox dart across in front of me today and saw tamaracks a golden yellow.  It’s over 3,000 acres with lots of open prairie. 

Marquette County is thick with oak trees.  The pines are mostly pines that were planted within the last 20 to 50 years or so.  There are many kinds of oaks here.  Black oak are uncommon, but they are here.  Red oak, white oak, and burr oak flourish.  People say that oaks do not give the splashy color that the maples wear in fall, but while maples may scream autumn, oaks purr fall.  Their bronze, copper wash of golden brown is magnificent. 

Another beautiful day in Marquette County.  The sun is shining on the turning oak leaves.  Oaks are interesting in their response to autumn.  Some people think they are not colorful, but some turn deep red, others a golden brown.  An expanse of them looks like the finest bronze at times.  And their rattling leaves in the dead of winter gives you a reminder to be persistent in your wait for spring.

  Ahhh…fall.  Here in Marquette County we have mostly oaks and pines, but there are stands of maples and hickories that create bright spots.  The oaks turn a lovely russet later in fall, too.  Time to start baking apple pies and making squash stew.