Parfrey's Glen

                             " A hike back in time." 

    These photos will give you a taste of what nature has created just a short drive from your back door. In some cases you"ll wonder what's keeping the rock formations from falling on your head.
I'll give you a hint.
                                           "Mother Nature"  
                  Although at times gravity got the best of her.

 

Into the gorge we go !!!

At one time there was a wooden walkway through here but "Mother Nature" decided she wanted it to be her way or no way. A few years ago the gorge was flooded and washed it all away.

Now there are huge boulders blocking the way to the waterfall and pool at it's bottom.

I have gone other them in years passed but now it's best left to someone a little younger.

  
                    

Ferry Bluff

                            Spring at it's finest.

 These photos are from a recent hike to the top of Ferry Bluff.

 

 

A great finish!!! 

Where else can you look down into a Bald Eagle Nest. They have chicks but it's a bit far for my camera.

Next Generation

    What better thing to do on a cold cloudy day. In mid morning I called a friend to see if she had any interest in taking a tour of the area bald eagle nests. That was a "yes !", soon we were off.  I had been told of two nests to add to our list. There may be many more nests that we have no knowledge about.

  The first on the list is on an island so we couldn't go there on this trip.
But week ago I had the opportunity to check on it.

    The next set of pictures are in the order that we visited them starting in Sauk City. I won't give locations for the safety of the bald eagles. For all of these pictures I never left the side of the car, some were taken out of window. There's one photo for each stop. In three of the photos chicks are visible.
 

















The next two photos do go to together the eagle was near but not on the nest.

I've been told there are two chicks in this nest.

The two following nests have been abandoned this year. It's difficult to say why.

The next nest was abandoned a few years ago. An adult pair of eagles have 

been in the area every year since. It's believed a new nest was built but in an area well out of sight.

A volunteer

   I compost along the upper edge of the riverbank. I cover it with straw to keep a neat appearance. A few years ago a plant came up that I thought was a willow that grows on sandbars in the riverway. After it got a little bigger I recognized the leaves as that of a peach tree. I only buy northern grown peaches to eat therefore they are winter hardy in the Wisconsin climate. (I once had a hardy peach tree that I bought). I've been protecting this volunteer from harm ever since. Last year it had it's first five blooms producing one wonderful peach. Look at it this year !!!

Yes, it looks more like a shrub, I didn't want to lose any fruit bearing branches.
Much to my delight a second volunteer tree has appeared about ten feet from this one.
      If you treat "Mother Nature" right she'll reward you in her own special way!


 

I'm back !!!

   After a month of yard work and rainy days I'm back exploring the great Wisconsin outdoors.
This is a photo journey of a well spent Sunday afternoon. A boating excursion  on the Lower Wisconsin River it started near my home .
    First we made a trip up Second River ( "The East Fork" to some) It's an old river channel that most of the time is too shallow to navigate and there are couple beaver dams to cross over.

An abandoned eagle nest.

 

Back out to the main channel. Here we checked out the unstable railroad trestle.

 

 

The rest of the trip was spent just taking in the beauty of the warm day and the sights along the way. 

I've done a couple other outings that will soon be posted.

I've added this link: it was taken during our Sunday outing.
It was shot by Timm Zumm President of " The Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway"
(aka. FLOW)

https://youtu.be/IKMY75RsAKs

Feasting

   I received these photos from a good friend. A white-tail deer had been a victim of road kill.
Her son dragged the animal off the road into their woods, he then set-up a trail camera.
He got some great daytime photos after the bald eagles found it. In one of the photos it was pretty well picked down to the bones but a hawk was waiting it's turn. The good news about this is that it was road kill and not filled with lead shot. Too often animals looking for a meal become ill from lead poisoning.