Mix rain and melted snow to the Grasse River when frozen and you have a sure recipe for an impressive ice jam. The first sign of a good jam is seeing high water levels on the river bank.

We’ve had our share of sub zero temps but I was still surprised to see how thick the ice managed to get.

In an unusual move I removed my hat. I put it on an ice block to provide some scale. The ice was easily over a foot thick.

Looking out beyond the same block to some ice being piled up by the current.

Another pile up further out in the middle of the river.

Last look – ice piling up on the Grasse River downstream from Morley, NY.

Seeing a bright color this time of year is a pleasant surprise. Orange Jelly Fungus seems to be oozing out from the cracks in the tree bark. Looks like there’s some life left in the dead Hemlock after all.

Dacrymyces palmatus

Orange jelly looks a lot like Witch’s Butter but you can tell the difference by what they grow on. Jelly grows on dead conifer (in this case Hemlock) while Butter prefers hardwoods. Another trait of the Jelly is that it has a whitish point of attachment.

Orange Jelly season extends from May through November. It appears that it persists for quite a while. I found these back in early December when they were in better condition. They seem to have ‘melted’ and refrozen into a nice icy treat. Well maybe not actually a treat but most of my field guides do say Dacrymyces palmatus is edible. Only one guide used nonpoisonous instead of edible and actually said the Dacrymyces species in general do not taste good. I’ll let you be the judge. I’m not trying any unless you pay me.

September hasn’t yet seen any real shortage of wildflower blooms along the Grasse River. While the average first frost date is only a couple days away the riverbank’s inhabitants continue to enjoy warm sunny weather. But the inevitable is coming. Leaves are turning colors, seed is being set and visitors from the north are resting before continuing their journey south. Autumn is here and predictions of Winter are already being made.

Here are a few more wildflowers that continue to bloom.

Skullcap – Scutellaria

I hesitate to say this is Common or Marsh Skullcap – Scutellaria epilobiifolia
I’m afraid I’d never get my tongue untied.

Sneezeweed – Helenium autumnale

I know I posted a photo of Sneezeweed the other day but I think this one came out better. At least there’s no fly on it. All I can ask is, where was this spider when I needed it?

click image for wallpaper version

Turtlehead – Chelone glabra

I don’t see it but the flower is supposed to look like a turtle head.

Maybe the shell but I think they named it after the wrong end.

Gone to Seed

Swamp Milkweed Seed Pods

This is one of the reasons I went to the river. I was looking for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Since Swamp Milkweed is on their menu I figured I might see one. As usual (but not always) I was right.

Jack in the Pulpit Berries

Not exactly on the riverbank but the orange in the woods lining the shoreline caught my attention. I just couldn’t resist posting the pic.

Oh yea, I did mention a Winter prediction. It doesn’t look good.

I think this Woolly Bear Caterpillar is telling me the only way to keep my ears warm is to stick my head up my you know what.

Meanwhile it looks like the visitor doesn’t want to get his wet.

Observers have seen the lowest levels on the bank since the spring’s high water mark. Sunny dry weather continues to lower water reserves and forecasters are predicting the trend will continue. Meanwhile an influx of new wildflowers has increased the bank’s interest. A positive background image emerges when the details of these new assets are focused on. Unfortunately experts believe the late summer rally can’t last and all assets will be frozen before the end of the year.

Sneezeweed – Helenium autumnale

This is the native wild cousin of Hellen’s Flower found in a garden setting. Not always though, some of the garden club members are known to have escaped captivity and survived in the wild. The bright yellow flowers of the wild sneezeweed are cheery and the buttons are cute enough to hug.

No Manners

Stupid fly kept landing on the flower I wanted to photograph. Figures – only the pics that had a fly on it were in focus.

Now is the time to walk/wade down the Grasse River in Morley. The water level is low enough to follow the shoreline without much trouble. Be prepared though – you still have to get your feet wet. This is also my favorite section of the river for fishing using ultralight tackle. The small mouth bass may run small but they sure will keep you busy. A small Mr. Twister with a yellow wiggle tail will out preform any other lure. The majority of bass caught will range 8 to 10 inches but expect to hook into some real keepers too. This short section of the Grasse River is Bass central but Pike, Pickerel, Walleye and Muskellunge are always lurking in other sections and sometimes they pass through.

Enough rambling, time to get back to the natives.

Spotted Joe Pye Weed – Eupatorium maculatum

Yes, of course I spotted it but that’s not what I meant. Spotted is the name, doh! The stems are deep purple or purple spotted so I guess that’s where it gets it’s common name.

Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis

Whoot! I finally got a photo of a Cardinal Flower that captures the form and the color.

The red is so intense I’ve always had a hard time getting the details to show. The scarlet red usually overwhelms both my eyes and my camera.

New England Aster – Aster novae-angliae

Higher up the river bank a bee was sticking her nose in an Aster.

The sun bleached the color of the flower petals in the photo while the bee was perfectly lighted. New England Asters are really a nice deep shade of purple.

Groundnut – Apias americana

One of my favorites. If you have a chocolate garden theme you might fall in love with this native member of the Pea Family too. The flower’s are fragrant and the color is usually a maroon brown sometimes pure chocolate. The plant is a twining vine, with leaves that are divided into 5 – 7 broad, sharp pointed leaflets. As you can see the flowers form an unusual cluster. The roots form walnut sized tubers that can be boiled, roasted or fried. The taste is sweet and slightly turnip like.