A Nice Day Off

Today was my first day off in 17 days as a result of the demanding plant sale schedule. It was a perfect day in terms of weather. My younger daughter and I like to go on "adventures" and did so this morning as well. The picture above is of a labyrinth planted down at a wellness center in Beloit, WI. This was part of an "adventure" last week. Labyrinths have been around for thousands of years (some have been found to be over 4,000 years old) and are not truly a maze. There are no wrong turns; a labyrinth is "unicursal". Upon entering the labyrinth, your turns will eventually lead you in to the center and then a return trip to the entrance is easily accomplished as you reverse your course. This is a smaller labyrinth but wonderfully planted and maintained with a grass walkway. Path materials will vary as will the number of turns, some being quite elaborate. Some labyrinths can be found as paving patterns in hospitals or churches. Some feel that to walk the labyrinth imbues one with heightened awareness and helps with spiritual awareness. I can't attest to that but we both thought it was pretty cool.

Today we hiked thru the Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy near Williams Bay, WI. This 230 acre preserve is the largest intact wetland remaining in the watershed of Geneva Lake and was really a treat to hike thru (see picture below). We had great temperatures, no mosquitos and didn't see another soul. What a nice escape. Apparently Kishwauketoe is a Native American word for "sparkling water". We saw lots of it and although we didn't cover the four miles of trails, we do intend on returning in the near future.

I'm sure the gang all did well today and had nice weather (perhaps the nicest left for the next 7 months!). Nice grass below near our terrace garden. This is dune grass (Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue') from the Eastern United States. It has powdery blue foliage and when it "plumes out" this time of year, it is a real showstopper. Leave this up over winter and cut to the ground in March prior to fresh new growth emerging. Definitely a favorite of mine.