Yesterday Offspring #2 and I drove up to the farm. We talked the others into going on a hike down to the lake - the hard way. All seven of us (well, eight including Blunder) jumped into the golf cart while Medo ran along barking all the way. We went past the barn, and drove through the grass between the fields until we came to the end. We hopped off the cart and scouted for the easiest route down the hill to the lake. We chose the ravine. Just for the record, the easiest way down to the lake is NOT the ravine. If you travel further east the slope is much easier to walk. But if you do go down the ravine, watch out for those spots where it appears level because the layer of duff looks level, but isn't level - the thick layer of leaves are just hiding the deep spots. Walking along we 
saw lots of Solomon's Seal (real and false), some trillium, some poison ivy, and some pitcher plants. We saw about 9 pitcher plants in the same area. My sister potted the first one and then we saw pitcher plants all around us. The pitcher plants eats insects and is, therefore, a carnivorous plant. The plant has hollow, tube shaped eight inch leaves that look like pitchers. Each leaf has an open mouth and a leafy hood. The leaf holds water in the pitcher. It attracts insects by having nectar glands around the mouth. The leaf hairs point down into the tube and are slippery. The insect crawls inside the tube and can't get out, falling into the water and drowning. According to the DNR Volunteer magazine, the pitcher plant water is home to protozoans, nematodes, freshwater crustaceans and aquatic mites. Three insect larvae also live in the pitcher plant water - the flesh fly, the pitcher plant mosquito and a midge. All these animals help digest the insects that die in the pitcher plant making the nutrients available to the plant for it to live. Typically pitcher plants grow in nutrient-poor soils like bogs and swamps so they need the extra nutrients provided by the insects. My Dad is so lucky to have this prime land. This hill going down to the lake has never been farmed and never been pastured. The landscape is pretty much the same as it was before Minnesota was a state. The tall maples and birch are truly breath taking. I ran into one small tree with a diameter of about an inch that was in my way. I tried to push it aside. Both ends were attached to the ground. I couldn't tell which end was the trunk and which end was tree top. It was like a giant croquet wicket. I suspect a tree fell on the top bending the tree down and keeping it pinned there. We saw lots of mossy fallen trees. Large granite boulders line the shore. We had a hard time walking along the shore until we found a deer trail that angled up the hill and away from the lake. I kept my eye open for antler shed but didn't see any. We had a beautiful view of the lake. We saw the pelicans and cormorants enjoying the quiet water of Petey's bay. The south side of the lake had white caps and the wind was very strong. The shore here would be a great place to put a bench or a lawn chair to enjoy the view on a hot summer day.
saw lots of Solomon's Seal (real and false), some trillium, some poison ivy, and some pitcher plants. We saw about 9 pitcher plants in the same area. My sister potted the first one and then we saw pitcher plants all around us. The pitcher plants eats insects and is, therefore, a carnivorous plant. The plant has hollow, tube shaped eight inch leaves that look like pitchers. Each leaf has an open mouth and a leafy hood. The leaf holds water in the pitcher. It attracts insects by having nectar glands around the mouth. The leaf hairs point down into the tube and are slippery. The insect crawls inside the tube and can't get out, falling into the water and drowning. According to the DNR Volunteer magazine, the pitcher plant water is home to protozoans, nematodes, freshwater crustaceans and aquatic mites. Three insect larvae also live in the pitcher plant water - the flesh fly, the pitcher plant mosquito and a midge. All these animals help digest the insects that die in the pitcher plant making the nutrients available to the plant for it to live. Typically pitcher plants grow in nutrient-poor soils like bogs and swamps so they need the extra nutrients provided by the insects. My Dad is so lucky to have this prime land. This hill going down to the lake has never been farmed and never been pastured. The landscape is pretty much the same as it was before Minnesota was a state. The tall maples and birch are truly breath taking. I ran into one small tree with a diameter of about an inch that was in my way. I tried to push it aside. Both ends were attached to the ground. I couldn't tell which end was the trunk and which end was tree top. It was like a giant croquet wicket. I suspect a tree fell on the top bending the tree down and keeping it pinned there. We saw lots of mossy fallen trees. Large granite boulders line the shore. We had a hard time walking along the shore until we found a deer trail that angled up the hill and away from the lake. I kept my eye open for antler shed but didn't see any. We had a beautiful view of the lake. We saw the pelicans and cormorants enjoying the quiet water of Petey's bay. The south side of the lake had white caps and the wind was very strong. The shore here would be a great place to put a bench or a lawn chair to enjoy the view on a hot summer day. 
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