White and more white - enough

Last week we had a blizzard white white and more white!  Had to drive 248 miles in that.  Not a nice experience. Then today we are having another blizzard.  It is still so early into the winter season but I am tired of WHITE.

 

With that being my dominating thought for the day, I thought it best to add a little color in this posting. 

 

These are some of the many colors that were here in the Gardens at Waters East not so many weeks ago.  I don’t know about you but I really needed a boost to my brain so here are a few of the colors that make the gardens look so good during the summer and fall months.

 

 

  

The Lost Dauphin

Lost Dauphin

 

Late during this past Autumn, took a hike in the Lost Dauphin State Park.  It is only 30 miles from the Gardens at Waters East.  I had never been there.  It is named for the son of Louis the 16^th of France who along with his wife Marie Antoinette were guillotined in the French Revolution.  

Stories have lived on that this son escaped from France and came to the United States. If you do research you will discover that there are more than 600 people who have claimed to be the long Lost Dauphin. You pick what you want to believe!

 

 

 

Back to the park.  Beautiful Day, lots of colors and great trails with ravines etc. Nice get-a-way for the afternoon.

 

It is the smallest State Park in Wisconsin - - only 18 acres.

 

 

 

 

 

FIRST. SNOW

FINALLY !!!   It has been an unusually mild, even warm Autumn.  Was able to do lots of garden work because of that, but we all knew it couldn’t last – and it didn’t. This morning we had our first snowfall of the season.

 

Looks nice.

I can take a few days of this but I am sure in a week or two I will want it gone! 

 

 

Autumn - Asian Patio Garden

 Autumn has come to the Asian Patio Garden.

Colors are happening here at the Gardens at Waters East, and all around the area – NICE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Monarch

This was the last of the monarchs coming from Canada flying back to Mexico.

Took a break in the garden before moving on.

It is a long journey !!!!

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.