The mysterious cicada is a fascinating creature.  I spotted one in the lawn by my parents’ graves as I was changing the flowers.  It must have just emerged from its 13 to 17 year life underground and was crawling towards a big pine.  I helped it to the tree and watched it for a long time, climbing higher and higher.  It was so determined and it took so long to go a short distance.  I found another one that hadn’t bothered to make it to the tree.  It had clung to a granite grave stone and emerged.  The wing veins were turqoise like the finest green blue stones.  It didn’t move, waiting for its wings to dry. 

cicada emerged

Bleeding hearts and lilacs are in top form this spring.  These were at Bison Ridge Ranch against an old stone wall right after a rain.

It’s May 15 and May Apples are up and blooming. They are such a humble flower, hiding below their umbrella leaves, happy to be facing the earth, not striving for more glory or any glory at all.

http://www.dclunie.com/eshelton/wildflow/wildind.html

This is a link to a nice Wisconsin wildflower site on the web. May Apples show their apples in fall or late summer. The root is toxic.

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.

They are drawing down Montello Lake and the egrets are thick out there taking advantage of easy pickings of fish and aquatic animals.  Crickets are singing with end of the season fever.  The moon is wonderful.

So much has been going on, I haven’t posted lately, but Marquette County is bringing in the beauty of the change of season.  New England astors are out, although not as thick as last year.  The orioles are gone!   I’ll worry about them all winter and look forward for their hollow whistle come spring. 

Some of the most beautiful trees in Marquette County are the oaks.  There are black oak, red oak, white oak, pin oak and burr oak.  Here is a beautiful one towards Westfield.  The crown is magnificent.  It’s probably 150 years old. 

Prairie Dock or Elephant Ears bloom all along the road and in many prairies this time of year.  The tall stems wave in the wind sprouting out of a bowl-like bunch of huge waxy leaves.   Settlers once used its long tap root to brew medicinal tea.