Norm's Milestone Birthday

Today is Norm's 70th birthday. Happy Birthday! This year we came to Pere Marquette State Park on the Illinois River, about 30 miles north of St. Louis, to celebrate.





We haven't been "to the river" for at least a year and we were eager to see how well the area has survived the floods of earlier in the year.
We enjoyed a cloudless day today, and a cool breeze when we took a walk to the river bank this morning.




The water has receded some from the high levels this spring, but it is still rolling along. Last night we saw a couple of towboats pushing 15-tow barges upriver. We also saw three deer come down to the water from the woods behind the Lodge at deep dusk.

We also enjoyed swimming in the indoor pool here, and unwinding in the whirl pool. It makes all of the kinks acquired from walking go away.


Some sunscreen,
a straw hat and a little insect repellent are essentials for an August vacation.



While we were at the river this morning, some pleasure boats came by and stirred up a wake that sparkled in the sun.

The mud flats at the edge of the river show tracks of many shore birds. We think the big tracks probably belong to great blue herons which we see in this area often. The small tracks might belong to sandpipers.

This spring's high water left mud, which has dried and cracked in the sun during July and August. And nut grass, that bane of suburban lawns every where, is sprouting with vigor.



Dining in the Pere Marquette Lodge is always a treat this time of year, as bird feeders located on each window attract ruby throated hummingbirds in droves. As we ate supper this evening, an alpha male asserted his guardianship over the feeder nearest us.

These feeders don't have a perch, so these little guys eat while hovering, their wings just a blur.





The afternoons here are filled with the rasp of cicadas. We found this one on a lamp post when we started our walk this morning.