Braeburn Marsh
Yesterday was my son’s 42nd birthday. The family gathered at the house for a celebration. Another year together is a cause for celebration. There was a fine meal with 
some of my son’s favorite foods, and of course an ice-cream birthday cake.
As aspect of the afternoon was a frog hunting expedition along the banks of the creek that flows into Braeburn Marsh. My grandson, Lincoln, at the age of 4 is becoming quite a skilled frog hunter with his 
round net, purchased at the dollar store. He has a practiced eye for spotting a frog camouflaged in the shallow water along the edge of the creek. And for a beginning fisherman he already has a good fish story to tell.
We also took a walk along the trail that leads deeper 
into Braeburn Marsh. The Marsh belongs to the Forest Preserve and is a protected area. It receives the runoff water from surrounding neighborhoods and that entails lawn fertilizer runoff. Civilization comes at 
the expense of Nature. Human beings, language- enabled mammals, have desires far exceeding all other mammalian kin.
We enjoyed silence as the path took us into the marsh. An elevated steel walkway provided secure footing for the times 
when the marsh is a water filled wetland. Tall cottonwoods kept company with us, looking to be 50 to 80 ft tall. One of the aged trees had fallen and a sizable branch lay across our path. We climbed up and over. It was a good spot for a picture so Lincoln gave his grandpa a practiced smile.
I offer some images of the wild flowers that we saw along the way. I intend to learn their names in the near future.
Here is more info on Braeburn Marsh. CLICK HERE.
