When we finished at the dam, and had our coffee (thankfully, they didn’t say it tasted odd!) Edge suggested we go to the Confluence Point.

We had lunch (I completely forgot to take a photo of it…phulka/veg wraps, and soft drinks to go with it) Here are Edge and June with the coffee, instead!

Here they after lunch, just before starting on the trail.

We started on the trail; the time of day, possibly, was not the best for birding, and we didn’t see any. But that bothered me not at all, as both Edge and June are so knowledgeable about everything else I saw, and I got such a lot of information!

The beginning of the trail had a lot of information: The pioneers of the westward expansion: So too did the end point, where the two rivers meet: Imagine the water being that high! Butterflies: I watched a lot of Monarch butterflies. They weren't migrating in clouds, like the nature documentaries showed; there was one, here and there, flying around... Here are a couple of un id butterflies: Wildflowers: Several delighted me.. This plant belongs to the Nightshade family: We found this plant had a strange aroma, but June couldn't place the name. This is Bindweed, considered a pest in gardens: Clover family: Wild Gentian: Autumn is coming, and the plants let us know: Here's a burr that inspired Velcro: A wildflower from the pea family: This is Illinois Bundleweed, in its dry form. Here's the fresh variety: And the leaves: Insects: June pointed out these larvae, which were eating the plants around: Several very large grasshoppers had me hopping after them! Can you spot the damselfly? Well, I managed to get a close-up: Several beetles zipped along our path: This fat spider swung in the sunshine: and this little jewel closer to the ground: Tent caterpillars are considered pests, but that doesn't take away the marvel of their engineering! I got a Hornet on a wildflower: And, later, on a bench: Here's a ground beetle on the Goldenrod: We discussed centipedes and whether they were poisonous: A Harvestman (Daddy Long Legs...just LOOK at those legs!) was a treat to see. So was a Cranefly. Amphibians: This beautiful toad was not easy to see. It took a lot of effort to take a pic where the creature is not melding into the surrounding leaf litter! Edge caught one so I could get him (or her): Then I managed to get it on the path: The scenery: The weather and the open countryside were both beautiful. The Mississippi: The confluence of the mighty Mississippi and the Missouri rivers: Here's Edge on the trail, with those 3 extra legs of hers: Here's June, trying out her new attachment, which allows her to take pics on the phone through her scope: The two steadfast friends walk the paths of Nature and Life together: We finally went to the Audubon Center to have a look around:

Edge, my heartfelt thanks to you!