MAY 23, 2015 PEACH HILL

      We hit the jackpot with attendance and weather today.  There was sun, pretty clouds, a breeze...perfect for walking.  We started with 17 and 2 more caught up with us at the summit for a total of 19.  I had hoped to catch the apple trees in bloom with this walk but we learned that they had bloomed around Mothers Day.

      We began with the green trail which is quite steep but a nice walk through the woods.  We learned later that it's the most difficult route to the top.  We usually follow the white trail through the orchard on the way down but this day we took the wider loop of the red trail.  

      After the walk, four of us brunched at the Acropolis Diner in Poughkeepsie.

a flowering tree on the way to top

looking the other way at the overlook

Thank you Gene for taking the group pic

on our way down

as always I took flower pix

can't remember the name of this wide-spreading, destructive weed

skirting the apple orchard

MAY 16, 2015 BLACK CREEK PRESERVE

     It wasn't raining when I made the decision to chance a walk but when I left home it started to rain and it rained most of the way to Black Creek.  Happily, when we arrived and started to walk, the sun came out and it turned out to be perfect weather for walking.  Only three of us were brave enough to chance walking but it was worth it.
      We enjoyed brunch at the Gateway Diner in Highland.

Black Creek

the view from the bridge

the walk begins with a steep uphill...the creek is just barely visible through the trees [a little bit of blue in center of pic]

it's a pretty walk through the woods

we crossed a little stream

and we walked along a stone wall

our first view of the Hudson through the trees

the water was a little rough

one of the classic views with Esopus Lighthouse in the distance [just a white speck]

the lighthouse and a boater

some "wildlife"

we walked back on the red trail

MAY 7 2015 BOWDOIN PARK

      It was another beautiful day for walking.  There were nine of us, including a guest: Lee's daughter, Janet.  We followed the red trail which provided a wider loop than the yellow but it still turned out to be a rather short walk.
      Five of us enjoyed brunch at Perkins in Wappingers.  After, CJ and I went on a mini tour.  I needed to go to Hyde Park and, after completing brief business there, we visited Pinewoods and Hackett Hill parks.  We're scheduled to walk there in August and they appear to be relatively short walks.  Then we visited the Beatrix Farrand garden at the Roosevelt Estate and, lastly, we stopped at the Orange County Arboretum.  Since I didn't take many pictures on the walk, I've included some pictures from these two places also.

The red trail

I bought a NYS Wildflowers book but couldn't identify these.

wild grapes

Book didn't help me here either

ok these are violets

the train bridge...tide was out

This is new.

and the group

I still find this group interesting

Turtle pond

Don't know what these purple flowers are either. 

BEATRIX FARRAND GARDEN

ORANGE COUNTY ARBORETUM