The string of beautiful Summer-like days continues. At the tail end of my trip yesterday I found myself at mile #400, so I started off mile #401 by trekking to my favorite little nature nook. My boss decided to linger in the Upper Peninsula another day and wend his way back home today, so, for me, with that bonus morning down here in the Lower Peninsula, I took advantage of his absence to take an extended walk in the Park. I did two loops, enjoying the stillness of the early morning – why, even the 8:20 a.m. train was absent. But, the usual flora and fauna were there – hints of red and golden yellow are even creeping into the wild weeds and bushes along the trail, as well as the new Fall colors tinging the tiptop of the trees. I’m sure these beautiful hues could rival any of the foliage found in the UP. I saw a handful of squirrels, but they seemed disinterested this morning, so my bag of peanuts remained intact in my pocket. I chatted with Cindy, the pole walker, and she shared some secret spots along the trail where I could find ducks and turtles lined up along a log and frolicking in the water. I didn’t know about these little hidey-holes and went to investigate with her. What a treasure trove of mallards we saw and that just made my Monday morning special. The turtles – well, they were nipping at the surface, but hiding from us below the dark water, but every so often the sun would glint on their air holes. With rain in the forecast this evening, I lingered at the Park as long as I could before heading home, knowing I might not be visiting for a day or two.