Rains, heat, and the cabin

The heat of last week was hardly bearable, even though the forest remains a few degrees cooler than in town. I had to retreat to the coolness of the downstairs, keep the use of the stove to a minimum, and run the dehumidifier (because at least it would be a "dry heat").

The rains have helped bring down the night-time temperatures, although it also brought a surfeit of humidity, which means that I have to make the choice of damp-and-slightly-cooler versus dry-and-slightly-warmer. I've been choosing the latter, in light of my dislike for mold.

Odd white oil on the surface of TSL

I walked outside today and noticed that there was something on the surface of the lake. At first, I thought that it was some ripples from the breeze, but then it was shaped in the wrong way, and it also wasn't rippling. Indeed, it just seemed to sit there on the surface of the water.

Going out on the dock didn't help much, either, except to recognize that it was definitely something on the surface (or just below) out toward the middle of the lake, and -- from what I could tell from there -- nowhere else in the lake. "Hrm.... Hopefully it's not pollution," I thought to myself. Best get into a boat to check out what it was.

I got oars out of the barn, pulled out one of the boats, and paddled slowly out to the white slick. As I approached it, the slick seemed to disappear as its whiteness became muddled with the reflection of the sky. On went the polarized lenses and I saw that it, indeed, was something floating just under the surface.

Looking out over the lake, I also noticed that there was a rippling on the water, and this, too, was something not being kicked up by the wind. Intrigued -- a small part of the back of my mind thinking of lake monsters -- I paddled slowly to that stationary rippling.

As I approached, pulled the oars out the water and peered over the edge of the boat.... and there were what looked like bass -- a shoal of them -- swimming together near the surface, and -- as I approached -- the group swam away from the boat, away off to another part of the lake.

I don't know what that white substance was, but it wasn't actually oily on the surface, but just below it. Perhaps some milt or other spawning juices...

No Fishing, No Swimming in Third Sister Lake

The sign stands at the entrance to the dock: "Please No Fishing, Swimming." It's old and hand-made. And it's more than just kitch art: it's part of the rules of use of the property.

If people wish to swim in a lake, then I wish that they would find a lake that isn't Third Sister Lake.

Coyotes in the forest

I got a call this morning to let me know that there are coyotes (a mother and her litter) in the forest. They startled her, and the mother started to keen at the woman and her dog.

As a forested area, it's not surprising that wildlife would use this area as a refuge, and -- what with seeing two coyotes during the winter -- I'm not too surprised that they have had a litter.

Other semi-cryptic animals that are native to the area that I've seen in the woods are foxes, deer, possum, groundhog, and turkey in the woods (no sign of the wild pigs though), as well as some rather odd (non-native) animals as well (a peacock and a muscovy duck).

Right now, I'm not going to take any measures against the coyotes. They are primarily crepuscular, and most people are not going to be around while they are out and about. People do have to remember, though, that Saginaw Forest is not managed for public recreation, but for ecosystem research. Hopefully, it will be another reason for people to keep their dogs on-leash.

Turkeys again

This time, I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye while inside and saw a turkey chick clambering up the retaining wall just outside the window. I was able to take a short video before the mother took all three chicks further away from the cabin and path.



So, at least now I know that I have a breeding pair out here. Exciting!

Nope, Saginaw Forest is still not a dog park

I came across two women with their four dogs off-leash. One of the two said that she had been told that Saginaw Forest is a dog park.

uuuuuhhh.... nope. Not a dog park, which is why there are all the "All dogs must be on leashes" signs around the property.

If you want to take your dog to a dog park, then they are quite easy to find on Google:

• Copper Leaf Dog Park (3.9 miles south @ Ann Arbor-Saline & Pleasant Lake)
• Olson Dog Park (5.0 miles northwest @ 1551 Dhu Varren Road)
• Swift Run Dog Park (6.1 miles southeast @ Platt & Ellsworth)
• Paw Run Rec Area (8.1 miles north @ 6660 Zeeb Road)

A brief description of the parks can be found at the Ann Arbor Dog website.

Boardwalk plans moving forward

The contractors for the boardwalk came out today for a site visit. It looks like the plan's going forward.

Exciting!