Day 1.176: Lid (all) blew

Today we returned to the Pine Bush Preserve. We were last there on an unseasonably cold spring day last year just two days before E5N1's arrival. There was no danger of us being too cold today.

Some time last summer the building site next to the parking lot that we used on both our visits turned into a rather good visitors' centre. It is probably one of the most ecologically aware places we've visited - not only are they concerned about preserving this unusual sand-dune-pine-tree-butterfly-paradise (including by burning sections of it on a regular basis) - but with saving the planet.

Saving water and using re-usable cloth shopping bags (available in the shop) were themes inside. Outside - next to the disabled parking spaces - some other priority parking of a type I'd never seen before...


After learning about the area we set off blindly along the trails armed only with the logic of 'we passed a side trail on the left ages ago, so if we keep taking left turns until we get back to the original trail, we'll go round in a circle' and had a quite long but altogether extremely good walk. I found a trail map when we got back to the car, a bit late, but after this excellent visit I'm sure we'll be back to use it.

We saw masses of interesting plants, but fewer animals. We did find some cliché-supporting vultures (circling and perching in a dead tree).

We also saw, felt and swatted at a lot of bugs whilst walking in the dunes. Now, I'm not intending to blow the lid off the pop pun feature, but I will announce pop pun #59 for title watchers: a little blind spider took the wheel.