Perfect morning was spent in the woods

That was interesting. I had seen the small notice in the newspaper last week. It said in part, “Curt Burnette, naturalist and program director at the Limberlost State Historic Site in Geneva, will be leading a guided tour of Rainbow Bottom...”

My first thoughts were questions. Did someone actually find the end of the rainbow? Is the bottom of a rainbow the same as the end of one? Was a pot of gold located at the bottom of the rainbow? Did a leprechaun retire and leave his rainbow to the historic site? The possibilities were intriguing.

It was overcast and chilly when hubby and I set out, ready for adventure. We joined approximately a dozen people in the gift shop of the Limberlost site. Burnette gave a short talk and we were off. In case you don’t know, Gene Stratton-Porter was a writer and photographer who once lived in the log house across from the visitors’ center in Geneva, Indiana.

I first knew her as the author of a book I had read a long time ago. “Freckles” was a tale that centered around a guy who worked in the swampy land. Stratton-Porter had a gift for describing the area in such appealing terms that I had been surprised that not only was her house a historic site, but that the public can experience the area as well. Even better, it is only a few miles from home.

We all got into our cars and followed Burnette to Rainbow Bottom. The short drive ended in a muddy driveway. One lady had some difficulty prying a young girl away from her coloring book. The rest of us silently regretted not wearing boots.

Burnette told us that bottom land was low-lying land that was close to a waterway. It flooded on a periodic basis. Some parts of the trail would be covered with 10’ or more of water at times. It was all part of the cycle of life.

We quickly spotted an eagle in a stand of trees. Then we were told to notice all of the tracks in the mud. Deer, raccoons, and coyotes were just a few of the animals who had left their mark. A large vulture circled the sky, possibly choosing which one of our group it wanted for a snack.

Our guide stopped beside what was left of a small tree. It had a cone shaped top and had been felled by beavers. Either the local beavers are working overtime or they get a bonus for every tree toppled because there were many more trees that showed evidence of beaver damage.

My favorite part of the walk was when we stopped by a giant sycamore tree. There was a substantial opening at the base of the tree. Burnette explained that, like many sycamores, the tree was hollow and that he once had six or seven people inside it at the same time.

He crawled inside and stood up. The two children in our group followed. Then one of the adults joined them. I wanted to try it but knew better. Even if I had managed to get into the cavity, I don’t have the agility it would take to get back out again.

The youngest of the bunch, who looked like she was four or five years old, had a great deal of trouble getting out. It took several minutes before she realized she should go out head first. Her brother, the other lady and our guide followed.

By this time we each had a pound or two of mud on the bottom of our shoes. One lady pointed out a tree stand someone had left in a tree. We were told that it wasn’t permissible to hunt there and that it would be taken care of very soon. We stopped to see a muskrat hole and the path it had worn around its home.

We never did see a rainbow or a pot of gold. On the other hand, spending a few hours traipsing through the woods with an informative guide was the perfect way to spend a cloudy spring morning.