Haha! Good one.

So yesterday I noticed that several of the signs saying dogs must be leashed were pulled out of the ground and tossed off in the woods.

I'm having a difficult time understanding what this person was trying to accomplish. A) good soul, you left more than you pulled B) if your goal was to argue that having no signs meant the rule was nonexistent, you'll be very disappointed to hear that it's actually city ordinance, which means that sign or no, THEMS THE BREAKS. And now, I'm just less likely to be nice about it.

My dog is on a leash. Your dog must be on a leash. This is not only for your pet's protection, and that of other users, but also for those doing research in the forest. All it takes is your dog chasing one squirrel to end some poor PhD student's work. You don't want me thinking you are an irresponsible pet owner, do you? I don't know how you could live with that judgement.

The signs are back up. Should you continue to take them down, I will continue to put them up (they were not difficult to trace. Following your trail was as easy as following an elephant's, homie). And I will continue to enforce the rule.

Have a great day!

Absence

Some of you might have noticed I haven't been around much since making the above mess last weekend clearing honey suckle and buckthorn. I have been going back and forth from Ann Arbor to Royal Oak visiting my grandpa in his last days. This is still going on. I miss being in the forest everyday!

The next two Sundays will be fun. Have a class coming tomorrow, and I'm leading a girl scout group around next Sunday. Look forward to reporting on it!

Post-Campfire

Everything is pretty much back to normal after a grand SNRE Campfire.

Photos: follow this link! http://www.flickr.com/photos/snre/sets/72157636296094516/with/10141298006/

Now back to our regular programming.

Derpderpderp

We're tired.

Hey hey

Oops, sorry for not updating the last few weeks! I sit down at the computer with every intention of doing so, and then wind up getting distracted by all the other work left open on my desktop.

Just a gentle reminder, please pick up after your pets. Lots of poop piles around lately. Leto is on a leash and I have a bag ready, so I expect the same from every visitor!

Speaking of the fur-buddy, he learned a hard lesson about why we don't pounce on ground bee nests. Though he continues to try and eat bees as they buzz near his head.

There has been a steady stream of classroom visits since the semester started, and an interesting range of subjects. I wish I had the time to sit in on some of them!

Some of the work going on lately: clearing out several years of accumulated oddities on the porch (so many bottle caps...), and reinforcing the screening to protect it from the dog. Also, locating and moving a candidate log for SNRE campfire! Although not an easy task, retrieving one from the opposite side of the lake made things somewhat simpler and significantly more fun.

Ah, romantic evening with Log.

Oh, my husky is a sailor!

The color change is starting, and it's marvelous. I love sitting on the dock and taking it in.

All day everyday.

It's a trap!

Hello everyone.

I spent some time this weekend pulling/cutting some invasive species just getting established along some "healthier" sections of the trail. I'm going to have a merry celebration when it gets cool enough to start killing off the mosquitoes. They love to take advantage of me bent over on the job, hands too full to swat. It also means a colder walk to the bathroom, but that seems tame by comparison.

I've noticed a slight increase in litter the last couple of days, as well as some bicycle tire tracks looping the entire forest. I will find you, even if it takes setting up Ewok-style traps to do so.

From the Star Wars "Wookiepedia" site. starwars.wikia.com

Back to Michigan, back to school.

Returned safe and sound from Colorado. I missed shade and temperatures under 95 degrees. Good thing I live in the woods.

While I was away, Shaw generously offered to run an Orientation Work Day with incoming SNRE students. They took out a whole corridor of honeysuckle where the trail intersects Saginaw's driveway. The stumps will ultimately be treated to prevent future regrowth. Thanks to all involved! I'm currently in the process of of speaking with other small groups of volunteers for more endeavors down the line. There's always work to be done, and many hands make a lighter load.

In other news, there is a new face in the forest. Leto, a 2 year-old wooly husky, came home with me on Monday from the farm fields of Ohio. He's a friendly little trickster, and has already been making friends on the trails. Beware: he may give you stinky kisses.

I dispatched 2 deadfalls the other day. You may notice one sticking 3 inches out into the trail, and I apologize for that. The chainsaw (which I've found can be particular about when it feels like starting), decided to call it quits before I finished the job, so I had to continue the old-fashioned way with the axe.  I'll return to deal with the jutting end soon.

I've already met a great deal of friendly regulars in the woods. Please continue to say hello! Don't be shy.