Round Lake State Park Revisited

Looking back towards the beach and dock

The weatherman says summer has finally arrived with an upcoming stretch of warmer weather, and I had an itch to get out to Round Lake before flowers withered and grass dried up. My times out there have been late summer or even into September when that is exactly what I found. But word was that the recent rains had cause the flowers to bloom and I wanted to see them. I chose Tuesday of this week because I thought there would be few people there. Instead, I found a nearly full parking lot and dozens of people on the beach, on the dock, in the water and in boats enjoying this fine day.

My plan was to walk the main wide and gently sloping trail as far as the bridge that crosses over the creek formed by the lake's outflow. Shady, cool, and not many people. But it wasn't far until I got diverted by an information sign between my trail and the more strenuous one that follows along the lake. I soon found myself lured onto the lower trail. Glad I did as there were more flowers along there to see than on the upper trail.

Most of these flowers are quite small - half to three quarters of an inch across, tiny bits of color and sometimes great detail. I know the names of so few of these, only the most obvious like the blue bells, lupine, clover and the daisies. Sometimes it makes me sad because it brings back memories of walking through the woods with my mom who seemed to know the name of every flower and so taught them to me, but I have forgotten so many. What I have not forgotten is her pleasure in coming across one, how her face would light up and how her tone of voice would change, part reverent, part delighted, as if she were meeting an old friend she hadn't seen in awhile. She'd almost always stoop down, getting her face close, gently cupping the bloom in her fingers and telling me what she knew about it or what memory it evoked. I wonder if she was not having similar memories to mine as I'm sure she learned these names from her own mother. She's definitely not far from my mind when I am among wildflowers in the woods.

Previous shot from the other side - big tree looks to have twisted before falling

I'd also heard that the park had lost a lot of trees in a windstorm we had early in the year, and that volunteers had helped to clear some of this to open up that lakeside trail. I soon came across the evidence where they had sawn away the blocking portion leaving the rest of the tree in place where it fell.

Now I'm along the outflow, where beavers have been busy and the water flows wide and gently, suddenly taken with the look of the cedar branches as the sun shines through them while I am in shade.

Suddenly there's a splash, and I realize I am standing with ducks nearly at my feet! I'd almost missed them, so near the color of those sticks in the shade were they. Three had swum over to the pile of branches and had found something to feed on, their heads under the water, tails up. A fourth one swam over and checked it out.

And then, apparently, it wasn't too interested in what was there and glided away, perching in a shallow spot where its feet could touch. I've not seen any wildlife in my visits, always coming at the wrong time of day, so I was pretty thrilled.

Not far from the bridge now, and as anticipated, the spot where I wanted to sit for awhile was well shaded among the pines. This was an inaugural outing for a day pack I'd bought last year and not had a chance to use. I've become quite enamored of the Baggallini brand of bags and own several different sizes. I was sure I'd be just as happy with a small backpack from them and this little hike proved it. Normally I can get my sketching supplies and collapsible chair in a messenger bag, but I was also needing to add some contents from my purse, my big camera and a water bottle, more bulk than I could easily stuff in it and which would make it too heavy to carry slung over my shoulder. The day pack was perfect.

And here is my view. I had thought to sketch a bit of the bridge while I enjoyed the sound of the water, and did get out a sketchbook and penciled in the major features. But the watercolors never made it out of the pack as I'd been having a bit of a low energy day anyway, and the afternoon was slipping away after all those pauses to shoot wildflowers and ducks. It was enough to concentrate just a bit on the sketch and then just sit there in such a peaceful place. But wait! Do I see a deer just on the other side of the bridge? Not one but two, carefully making their way across the creek. But they were in too much of a hurry to stand and pose, suddenly taking off up the hill. It was enough to have seen them before making my way back to the car. I'm so blessed to be able to spend an afternoon like this.