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.