A walk in the Park

Today I thought I'd share some pictures from one of my recent walks in the Metroparks.  I've been enjoying the park since I was little, and still feel that sense of peace every time I hear the sound of that river (Rocky River).  I have a great affinity for water and natural settings.  I don't mind slogging through muddy spots, or blazing my own trail through the woods.  I never outgrew that childlike joy of observing nature.  Every time I walk along that river I think of my brothers, Jeff especially.  He was the oldest, so he was in charge on our little adventures.  I spent many happy hours with both my brothers playing in those woods and on that river.  And now that I have a digital camera (something I could have put to good use as a kid!), I can take as many pictures as I want, and share them with all my friends.

This is a swampy area where I often see ducks, and the occasional heron.  Right now there are lots of dragonflies cruising over the still water looking for prey.


 
This is a view of the river, which was up pretty high from the recent rain storm.
 
A shot of a plane passing over just above the treetops.  Part of the park is under the flight path of the nearby airport, and the planes fly so low you can practically touch them- LOL!  
  
Three different types of mushrooms I spotted while wandering through the woods.  I've always found mushrooms very interesting, and just a bit magical.
 
This spider made a web on one of the small bridges and was kind enough to pose for a picture (that zoom feature comes in real handy- LOL).  Although I still have a bit of a fear of spiders, I find them very interesting.
 
The river is pretty shallow here, and the horse path crosses it and disappears into the woods on the other side.  Two riders passed me while I was checking the area out.  I really like following the bridle path, since it tends to be the path less traveled.  So that's my latest trip to the park.  Although it's surrounded by city and suburbs, there's still some magic left here, if you know where to look. ;-)
-Michelle of CreativeCritters