What a beautiful morning this morning turned out to be! Cool and sunshiney with a cloudless blue sky! I started my morning off at work with a mile and half hike on Gayfeather Trail. Here are a few of the things I observed along the way...
The Gayfeather Trail-head and my beloved walking stick. |
Bright yellow Ashy Sunflowers and several varieties of Goldenrod were the predominant wildflowers that dotted the prairie landscape this morning. |
A buffalo wallow. |
I saw this one small sprig of azure Chicory growing along the trail. Growing up, Chicory was my favorite wildflower, but I don't see much of it here in southwest Missouri. |
Prairie landscape stretches out to the treeline. |
Prairie landscape stretches right out to the horizon. |
Like I said...cloudless. What a beautiful, brilliant, blue sky! |
Prairie grasses growing tall. |
Another buffalo wallow. Can you see all the bison hoof prints? |
Some of the last of this year's Gayfeather (a.k.a. Blazing Star) |
Cord Grass (or Ripgut) swaying in the wind. |
Clumps of Prairie Rose Gentian dotted the edges of the trail along the far side |
Another view along the trail. I didn't get pictures of them, but I did see four White-tailed Deer on my outing and the bison herd was across the road from the trail-head. |