Strenuous day! Lots of climbing. Lots of rocks, and with a geologist with us today it was really interesting in the rock department. How come I never took a Geology course?? I brought back one small specimen of feldspar, quartz and mica – the three components of granite. Or so I think I remember. We stopped by a once flourishing beaver pond where other life forms now teem -the dragonflies were especially beautiful. We also saw an elusive Leopard Frog. It was so elusive I didn’t get a photo, but in the course of the day we also saw a green frog and a wood frog (and there’s a photo of it). I found a small hemlock twig hanging from a spider silk and was photographed with it. You can’t see it, but you can see me, so I threw it into today’s report to prove I don’t make this stuff up every week. I really do go hiking. The trails were very varied and fun but when we came to the Big Oak (once a pasture tree) we found it had lost a major part of its trunk. Sorry to see that. There was a small patch of Rattlesnake Plantain, always beautiful and good to see. At last we arrived at the Mountain Laurel! What a display! It’s in a part of the woods where trees have been cut and the Mountain Laurel is blooming heavily. Gorgeous! Off to check myself for ticks and then to a big “Stop the Pipeline” meeting tonight at 7 tonight in Greenfield.. Isn;t June a great time of year? Love, Penny 
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