Northern Lights October 7, 2024

Last night was one of those unique evenings here at The Gardens at Waters East.  For much of the night - -  Monday October 7^th from 10:00PM to 3:30 Am Tuesday October 8^th today, the Northern Lights made a showing.  Also called - Aurora Borealis. 

 

The photos are not the best taken with the cell phone but you can sure get the idea.  The sky lit up in streams of greens and reds. Being there in reality was much more impressive, but you get the idea of how special a sighting like this is.

 

Check the web to see how that is caused from the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field.

 

Caves

 Maribel Caves

 

These caves are part of Maribel Caves County Part a small 75 acre park approximately 30 miles south of The Gardens at Waters East. There are many fantastic caves that are 11,000 to 20,000 years old carved out of the lime stone that make up part of the Niagara Escarpment running from upper New York state and Niagara Falls down along the West side of upper Lake Michigan, under the Gardens at Waters East, then across Wisconsin to Iowa.

Tour leader

bat on the ceiling

 

rock face of Niagara Escarpment

 

One of many caves

 

Through many many years of deposition and change, glaciers wore down the land surface exposing an underlying solid mass of rock called Niagara Dolomite. Over the years of extreme climatic conditions, the rock decomposed. Springs, carbonic acid, the changing seasons, high volumes of glacial ice melt, and temperature variations broke down the rock.

 

stalactites

 

 

Small caves and openings created by these forces appear in the rock layers of the cliff line.

Springs which seep from the limestone rock flow over the moss covered rocks and trickle to the river below.

 

water running out from a cave

If you like nature, geology, caves and beauty this is a great place to visit.

 

 

one of the paths below the caves

 

 

another path - many trails to hike

 

Frog in the river below the caves.

about to be LUNCH !!!

 Ruins of the original Hotel - Spa

Build here for people who came for the curative waters of the caves.

BLOG SHOTS #163

Each month Gardens at Waters East (GAWE) will post a few never before seen photos of “garden life” called - - BLOG SHOTS.  Here are the photos for this posting.

 

moments in the garden - - enjoy

Cone Flower

Centaurea montana

Butterfly on Lantana

 

Creeping Phlox

 

Daffodil

 

False Sunflower

 

Sunrise - Looking East from the Gardens

 

Reference Note:  For a complete list of the ten (10) Principles of Design plus the special “Golden Principle of Design” used throughout Gardens at Waters East, check out the archive postings for November 14 – 24, 2010 and May 2, 2011.

 

 

Red Tiger Lily

Veronica

 

Ivy on arch

 

NOTE:   All photos use in this posting were taken on the property of Gardens at Waters East

unless otherwise marked.

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

  

Snake in the house - AGAIN

 I do love my gardening but this is not what I need in my life!  This is the second time in less than two weeks that I found a snake in the house.  This time by the piano in the living room just one hour ago.  Last time under the table in the sunroom. This one is smaller than the snake last week, but still freaks me out.

I was preparing today to post more garden photos but when I got up from the computer I saw the snake.   That posting will have to wait for a few days.

Van Der Brohe - - Arboretum

 Van Der Brohe   Arboretum

Cardenal Flower

Aster

 

Another amazing place for a visit.  The arboretum consisting of 65 acres loaded with native plants and is 25 miles south of the Gardens at Waters East.  It was a great short trip to take during the recent Labor Day holiday weekend.

Originally a golf course, all the trails are easily accessible as they cover the property with so many native plants and trees and also includes a number of art instillations. 

 

Great time of year to view so many native plants in bloom. I will admit. I know most of them but not all of there names! 

 

 

 

Check out:  vanderbrohearboretum.org

            for lots more information on the design, plantings, etc.