8-19-17  walking around in the preserve:

It's been so hot and humid lately that I've spent more time walking on a treadmill then walking in the preserve, but I do still make it out there now and then.  Instead of  recording my walking finds on a day by day basis, I figure why not group a bunch together?  So this is some of my finds between the last week in July and August.

7-29-17

 Ivy Creek right by our apartment complex preserve entrance area.

7-30-17

At the mill.  It's been rather dry here, not much water coming over the wall right now.

7-30-17

 more pretty wild flowers or weeds.

7-30-17

 remind me of dandelions on a bush

7-30-17

 another area of Ivy Creek.

7-30-17

 same area as above

7-30-17

near the end of the paved trail going West from the apartments.  It ends just over the fancy bridge.

7-31-17

 Then a dirt trail continues on.

7-31-17

 Hard to tell from these pictures, but there are some pretty good hills here.  This trail loops around and goes back to the bridge after about a mile.

7-31-17

 sunset over the preserve from Mall of Georgia Blvd right over the walkway.

8-2-17

 I believe this is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.  There seem to be quite a few of them around here.

8-2-17

8-6-17

 the brand new boardwalk along the East side of the Greenway.

8-6-17

 after the pavement ends to the East, this dirt trail continues about another couple miles.

8-6-17

 Heading back---our apartment complex is about a mile from the West end of the Greenway.

8-6-17

 I believe this is a Gulf Frittilary.

8-14-17

 With it being so hot and humid now, the best time to walk here is near sunset.  Too bad the view of sunsets isn't better from the trail.  Here is the back of one of the newly painted apartment buildings in our complex.  Ours backs up to the preserve, too, but far away from the trail.  We do enjoy the secludedness of our place!

8-19-17

 by the mill again.  The water is really low right now.  None going over the wall.

8-19-17

Still a lot of flowering "weeds", though.

8-19-17

hadn't seen these in the preserve before.  Must be their season now.

8-19-17

 These seem to be around for quite awhile

8-19-17

 a clearing along the East trail and a look at the interesting cloud cover.

8-19-17

8-19-17

 These guys are new right now, too.  Wonder what they looked like before they turned into these dried spiky things?

8-19-17

8-19-17

 part of the paved trail on the East side.

8-19-17

 only one of these guys I've seen.  Not many red flowers out along the trail.

8-19-17

 The clearing and the clouds on my way back tonight---a little closer to sunset. (This is looking North/East)

8-19-17

8-28-17

 Today I walked to the East.  This way is much flatter, but goes under several roads before the paved path ends and the dirt trail takes over.

8-28-17

 Still lots of wild flowers!  Different ones, but still lots of them.

8-28-17

8-28-17

 some of the bushes are showing berries now.

8-28-17

 About a mile into the dirt trail is this boardwalk that is suppose to go over a wetland.  Not much water in there right now.

8-28-17

 Continuing on the trail into the boyscout Eagle project area.

8-28-17

 one of the many bridges back there.

8-28-17

 Ivy Creek from the above bridge.

8-28-17

 The scouts added boardwalks to a lot of the area.  They even added this nice picnic area.

8-28-17

 lots more of the scout project.

8-28-17

 another sitting area and lookout Eagle Scout project.

8-28-17

Even a doe and her fawn were enjoying the trail!

8-28-17

 The Mom seemed pretty unconcerned with me, but her baby sure did run around a bunch.  Never got too far from Mom, but sure kept an eye on me!

8-28-17

 Another Eagle Scout project.  After examining it, I decided it was built well enough to climb.  Glad I did.  It's a pretty nice lookout.  They need to add a bench up there. 

8-28-17

 view from the top.

8-28-17

 view another direction from the top

8-28-17

 and another way

8-28-17

 towards the trail I came in on.

8-28-17

 Looking back down the steps.

8-28-17

Who would have thought there were so many interesting weeds and things in the middle of nowhere?!  Seems like each time I walk along the Ivy Creek Greenway, I see some different things.  It's also interesting to check out the difference in the creek during droughts and rainy times.