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Venus-Jupiter Conjunction #1
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29887 hits
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Venus-Jupiter Conjunction #2
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29031 hits
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Venus-Jupiter Conjunction #3
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36183 hits
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Venus-Jupiter Conjunction #4
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32867 hits
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Al Sabo 3
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16305 hits
This is big tick country. Bare legs or insect repellent is a must. -
Al Sabo 1
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33828 hits
There is an attractive mix of forest and open prairie around the edges of the preserve. -
Al Sabo 2
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15695 hits
The prairie is a mix of grasses and broadleaf plants, mostly yarrow, goldenrod, gentians, and milkweed. -
Al Sabo 6
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17370 hits
Another specimen of a goldenrod bunch gall. -
Al Sabo 4
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43823 hits
There is a lot of goldenrod (Solidago spp.) in bloom this time of year. Despite what adverts would have you believe, goldenrod is not responsible for allergies. -
Al Sabo 5
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35054 hits
A bunch gall, caused by a midge fly (Rhopalomyia solidaginis) laying her eggs in a goldenrod leaf bud. This species of midge fly is actually an ecosystem engineer, providing shelter and food for other species. -
Al Sabo 13
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18921 hits
I'm not sure what flower this is, either. I believe that it is flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata). The sap of flowering spurge can cause skin and eye irritation in some people, so be cautious about handling it. -
Al Sabo 7
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20278 hits
Another specimen of Solidago. There are over 100 species, and it is difficult to identify individual species without specialist knowledge. -
Al Sabo 8
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17126 hits
A gossamer spiderweb hidden in the grass. It's amazing what you see when you look down, but most people never do. They just trample over them. -
Al Sabo 9
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49643 hits
A small specimen of sassafras (Sassafras albidum). You can see the characteristic four different shapes of leaves. Although many plants have different leaves at maturity than they do when they are young, it is unusual to see so many different leaf shapes at the same time. For more about sassafras, read this. -
Al Sabo 10
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34509 hits
A close-up of the sassafras. A tea can be made from the bark of the roots. It's supposed to be delicious, but a lot of work to prepare safely. -
Al Sabo 11
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17622 hits
I'm not sure which flower this is. This is why you always take a good field guide with you. I believe that it is evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), but picking flowers in the preserve is not allowed, and I did not take more diagnostic photographs. -
Al Sabo 12
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21319 hits
Another specimen of the same plant. Again, I think it is evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). -
Al Sabo 14
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23429 hits
At one moment you are in the middle of a deep woods, you see a break overhead in the path ahead. You step out and see this. -
Al Sabo 15
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49262 hits
The trails are minimally maintained, but they do clear the trunks of fallen trees. -
Al Sabo 16
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134954 hits
This reminds me of walking through a woods in Florida, with sugar sand soil.