It was such a gorgeous sunny day on Saturday, that we decided to take a drive. We went to the forest preserve about 7 miles south of us to look for birds and wildlife.What we found was the flood receding, but still showing the effects it had. There is a lake with an overspill into a normally small tributary of the Salt Fork River. Not small today, water was still everywhere.
I walked down to as close as I could get to the bottom. In drier times the grand girls and I have taken this way and walked a path way back into the woods. The roar of the water coming over and down the spill way was almost deafening, but exhilarating. There is something hypnotic about fast moving water. I tried to get a picture of how high the water had gotten. It doesn't show very well, but was close to 3 feet higher a few days ago.Leaving the park, we took back roads out to the main highway and found several areas where the water had been over the roads. The road crews had been out and plowed debri off to the side. We wonder what they will do with all of it, as it will have to be moved. Here in corn country it is mostly corn cobbs and corn stalks. Not much mud though. And that is good. We don't want to lose anymore of our topsoil than we have to.
The "lake" you see is actually water still standing in one of the corn fields. I think we should be called "land of 10,000 lakes" now! What few problems the flooding caused was negated by the increase to our water table. We were way down on our rainfall last year.
We saw a hawk on our way home. Of course it was too quick for me to get a picture of it. I love the big majestic birds. I don't know the names of many, but have found a birding book of my Mother's and decided to try to identify and keep track of how many, what kind and where I see them. My own "Hawking Journal"!
When we pulled into our driveway, we could see our "spring day" coming to an end. To the north it looked like snow clounds moving in. Those of us who get snow know what those clouds look like. But it turned out to be a very(Brrrr!!!) cold front!
Spring will come. But could someone out there hurry it up a little?!!
4 comments:
Hi
What a lovely journey I have just taken with you, it is so interesting to see things happening around the world and comparing them to where we live. Beleive it or not I love cold weather and the snow.
As you know from my blog it is quite warm at the moment....above average for this time of year.
Happy blogging....you are doing so well.
Thank you Cheryl. Some of it is getting easier. I am so glad to have found your blog site! It has always been a dream of mine to go to England, and thru you, I am at least getting to see the real parts of it.
Hey Beckie, I loved the tour of your flooded areas. It looks a lot like this in our county too. The river is out and will be until next week sometime.
I am glad you are becoming interested in birding. :) Keeping a journal or even just a list about your sightings will be fun for you. You can compare years and what you have seen when. This time of year there should be different hawks around your area as some of the northern hawks winter down in this area. Good luck.
Beckie, I enjoyed your outing. I, too, am fascinated with water. Would love to live with a lake view or even a little creek!
You are fortunate for the raised water level, although I know flooding has effects. Down here in Charlotte, we are begging for rain.
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