Interlake

Greenish-white flowers on tangled vines that twine 10 – 20 feet using tendrils to hook onto bushes.  The fruit is green,  large and oval shaped with spines.  These plants typically grow along creeks and moist places. The fruit is chambered and contains several large flat seeds. Below, photos of the vine climbing trees, unripe seed pods, ripe seed pods which have burst open to distribute their seeds.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

These photos were taken on the drive up to Steeprock, Manitoba.  On the way back we stopped here and there and cut back across a few country roads.  It was a lovely autumn day for our jaunt out to the Interlake country. Above:  Old wooden doors on a shed flanked by some autumn coloured shrubs. Below:  An abandoned farmhouse, a lone bunch of wild asters growing in an open field, two black bullies in a pasture and some horses with braided manes.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

These colourful red sided garter snakes were everywhere a few weeks ago at Steeprock, Manitoba.  They would have been migrating back to their preferred limestone sinkholes where they hibernate for the winter.  Other than the Narcisse snake dens, I don’t ever remember seeing that many snakes in one location.  You couldn’t take two steps without finding another snake in the grass, or rocks or water.  Those who are very afraid of snakes would not have enjoyed walking around Steeprock this day.

Enjoy!

~Sharon