Walter Pratt Camping And Picnic Area

This picnic and camping area is part of the Brasher State Forest and only 8.5 miles from home. I took the dogs there for a quick romp but was almost thwarted by a bridge out and by the State Forest sign having been knocked down (I almost drove past the entrance). But get there we did, and it was a lovely November scene as I gazed across the reservoir:

I walked the dogs across the earthen dam, where I kept seeing these purple flowers. I decided that they were the common Spotted Knapweed which had been mowed and then sent up new shoots. Why they were blooming in November is a mystery, but there were many of them:

I also saw a meandering trail which looked like a drunk had dragged something through the sand. I thought it might have been a turtle, out to lay eggs - except that this was November! But when I saw the holes she had dug, I felt certain it had been a Snapping Turtle. Again, why she was doing that in November is a mystery. Global warming, perhaps:

But the dogs didn't care about any of that. They were running and sniffing, having a marvelous and wild time:

We walked along the shore of the reservoir and to the high ridge which juts out into the water. The dogs ran to the top, almost crazy with excitement. I love to see them happy, but reining them in can make me a bit crabby, at least at first:

But the pooches slowed down at the end of the peninsula, where they got to wade in the chilly water and smell mysterious wildlife smells which I could not detect:

Then we walked back toward the road along the top of the ridge, water on both sides of us:

The scenery was serene in the chilly November air:

There was a small bay toward the end of the peninsula where the dogs seem to feel more at ease getting their feet wet. Perhaps the water is warmer there:

But this is a small area, perfect for a quick romp, and we didn't spend long at any location. Moments later we were on the move again:

We returned to the picnic area which is sheltered beneath towering White Pines (and a couple of Red Pines):

The hike was over when we saw our little red car up ahead. At least it was over for me, though the dogs wanted to run across the road and into the forest. I called them back and got them loaded inside the car for the ride home: