Nature blog

This weekend, I camped at Marcy Dam...without a tent, without a lean-to. Heart lake offered comfort enough; providing me with a scenic rest. Nestled amongst the foothills of Mt. Colden I found a grassy plateau to sleep upon. The area was about the size of a small room, completely grassy and without much root. Trees encircled the patch of flat land, leaving an opening in the middle, to the sky. The fresh cold air was kept at bay by the small fire I built upon the lakeside. Before trekking 3 miles on bike to take my nights rest, I was sure to snap some shots of the outdoors. On my drive down, I took note of some different wild flowers including queen Anne, green fern, cattails(bulrush), as well as those large cob-web hanging moth nests that make you itch on sight (picture on bottom). Then I found and photographed what I believed at first to be fleabane but have changed my mind, and settled on Aster. The lavender and feathered flower pictured on the top is a native wildflower common in late summer and fall. They attract bees and are a nectar source for Monarch butterflies. And, the name comes from an ancient Greek word meaning star!