Rutland Trail East - Part 3

The dogs and I were on the Rutland Nature Trail (see also previous two posts) and were on our way back to our parked car:

These gorgeous leaves grabbed my attention and I had to take a photo. When I got home, I searched diligently for an identification, but had too little information. I couldn't even tell if the leaves had been opposite or alternate. But they did look like they might be Beaked Hazelnut, so that's what I'll call them for now:

The dogs' feet were getting muddier as we walked - and so were mine. I was also getting sand inside my leg braces but decided I could wait until I got home to remove it:

And all the while the dogs played and explored. They had used up their excess energy by now, though, and were much easier to keep close to me:

The three little dogs investigated a channel near the trail but found nothing exciting:

And then we were off again, happily making our way along the trail and past the Gray Birch saplings. You can see the joy in Seamus' gait and Fergus was so peppy that his ears were flopping:

But there are always reasons to slow down and check out the wild smells:

There was no reason to walk around mud puddles when walking right through them is so much fun:

I saw clumps of moss and tried to identify them. I think this was Common Fern Moss:

But I have no idea what this was:

On the trees were patches of Green Shield Lichen:

But our little hike was almost over and I could see our parked car up ahead. I put my camera away and concentrated on keeping the dogs from running ahead:

Rutland Trail East - Part 2

The dogs and I were walking the Rutland trail, a former railroad bed for the Rutland Railroad which traverses extensive wetlands (see also Part 1, posted yesterday):

There was more beaver sign than I'd ever seen before, so I imagined that the beaver population was increasing:

Shelf fungi:

Jack kept running far ahead, but he always came running back when I called:

We came to a section where White Pines grew. Someone had cut down some of the biggest pines, dropping them in the water and leaving them there. I have no idea why:

My happy little troop trotted along the trail, delighted with being outdoors and moving:

The biggest body of water on the trail was just up ahead, but the dogs were busy sniffing along the trail and didn't notice it:

I stopped to photograph these dried Queen Anne's Lace flower heads:

And then these yellow leaves, which I couldn't identify. Looking them up when I got home, I decided they might be Gray Birch, native to the northeast United States:

We came to the bridge, beneath which the big pond on the right slowly drained into the marsh on the left:

We didn't go much farther, though, because the hard packed stone dust was causing my ankles to be painful, almost as if I was walking on concrete. Soon we turned back toward where we began:

It was chilly, but I'd come prepared. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow: