spring lake is an alkaline lake surrounded by fen and northern wet forest. the wdnr says the shoreline is a bog shelf and that plants characteristic of fens and bogs live together in the mats of vegetation surrounding, an odd combination.

we were game for it, and the area was inviting (especially with rubber boots). we were welcomed most prominently by two (then three) sandhill cranes making regular calls the whole time we were there, with the echoes of another pair somewhere beyond the tamaracks sounding in between.

the year’s first sighting of skunk cabbage!

a.

cranes stand on the ice

calling out—

here in the cattails

b.

a single oak leaf

under ice

cool breeze between trees

c.

over tamaracks,

skunk cabbage,

polypores: grey sun