Cowles Bog is the last remaining remnant of the Great Marsh, Lake Michigan�s largest interdunal wetland. It is roughly 205 acres in extent - most of it wetlands that are in the process of being restored. The area that I'm arguing against is a 25 acre wooded parcel which, while is technically part of the "wetland complex," is separate. One of the issue facing the entire complex was that beginning long ago ditches were created to drain the wetland. Most of the damage occurred in the 1960s with the building of a steel mill and power plant. No one cared much about wetlands back then. Beginning in the 1850s, Indiana drained something like 87% of it's wetlands - second only to Illinois and Ohio. Now we have to live with that legacy - the mills, the power plant, the rail yard, the highway - all this is visually screened and sonically buffered by the forest. Cowles Bog is a beautiful place. We had thousands and thousands of Sand Hill Cranes fly over this spring. For the first time in recent memory, some of them stopped to roost in the bog. I'll do whatever I can do aid in its recovery, but I fear that removing all these trees--however imperfect they may be from an ecological standpoint--will jeopardize the entire complex. I think this is a case where environmentalism has to yield to good and common sense.

It looks to me like a primrose, and here's a link to one that's native to Michigan that looks like yours when you enlarge the picture: Here is a link that might be useful: Primula mistassinica

Theresa - sorry for posting again. I wanted to respond one more time to Bigdaddy. You made a very good point on the politics, and you, like I consider myself, are also a sensible person who won't go indiscriminately spraying pesticides. I think it's very legitimate to want to know what pesticide works when it's needed. On the soapy water - we use this recipe: CONCENTRATE = one cup soapy water + one cup cooking oil (ajax grapefruit scent is VERY pleasant for the soap). THEN, mix 2 tsp. of this concentrate into one cup water and spray carefully. The oil makes it last longer (and also aids in its insecticidal capability), and it also makes for nice shiny leaves. We've never had a plant's leaves damaged by it (though we damaged our honeysuckle blossoms a bit this season). Bigdaddy - I really appreciate your input here - much more now than I may have thought initially. I understand where you're coming from. While, unfortunately, in my neighborhood, people either don't care about their yards or have TruGreen doing the spraying (have "don't care" to my west and "TruGreen" to my east - they almost killed part of my lawn this spring, but I resuscitated it), I remember growing up next to neighbors who frequently "guessed" when mixing things, even as dangerous as diazinon (something I admit I wish was still available to me). I suppose it's that crowd that cost the rest of us the freedom to use what are now restricted use pesticides, and it's unfortunate that such people gave the government a reason to push the restriction. At the same time, my dad (while not being very good about protective equipment, something I now take seriously and have gotten him to take more seriously) always taught me to read labels completely (back then they weren't as complete as they are now, but that's a different story), to mix outside only, and to clean up afterward (yes, it may be disturbing that I helped to spray dandelions as a child, but it was probably a pretty good learning experience, looking back). I also have appreciated this chat the last couple of days. And as an aside, I got a tool that helped to perfect my ability to dig wild violets without damaging my lawn, and my wife just schooled me on it this morning (Fiskars makes it - avail. at Target - looks like a cross between a dagger and a garden trowel). Not going organic, and not faulting people here for using pesticides (I think most who care enough to come here probably use them responsibly), but I do believe in avoiding their use where possible. (If my neighbor took care of his yard, I'd probably be able to avoid spraying dandelions - and using herbicides - entirely, but that's a different story). As for bugs, well, I didn't put in $1000 worth of new landscaping just to be their food, even if that means one or two chemical apps. in a summer. I know that may sound crass, but I've got to sell this house sometime. Happy gardening. Kubota - excellent point. An unfortunate aspect of about everything is that, where there's controversy, it can become political. And I promise - this is my last post in this thread. Theresa - thanks for posting it; it was fun (at least for me).

LOL, lpink, I remember swimming in Lake Superior and feeling my skin tingle from the cold, but I think not many who are not native Michiganders are going to like it. You are right, though, Superior is aptly named. I also enjoyed a ride in a "glass bottomed boat" to see the shipwrecks off WhiteFish Point. Superior is so clear and clean that you can see a long way down, usually 30 to 50 feet. Because of some violent storms, as described by "Up North": "Raging northwest winds, building up over 160 miles of open water, create waves of unbelievable proportions. These violent storms and wild waters erupt with a suddenness that often catch sailors unprepared. The mountainous waves strike harder and more often than any ocean wave. The waves come roaring in from two or three different directions, ricocheting off the shores and returning with even more intensity. These monstrous storms, of hurricane force and duration, strike with all the ferocity and brutality of any ocean storm." Those storms mostly come in the winter, but summer storms are not uncommon and they are amazing to see when The Lakes are angry. They do demand respect, though, as many "sailors" shrug off a Great Lakes storm, saying they have weathered storms at sea. If they survive, they find that the Great Lakes, especially icy Superior, are unforgiving and that there is no time for a boat to recover its bearing between waves. The end result of those storms and some complacency is an 80 mile stretch of Superior's coastline from Grand Marais to WhiteFish Point called "Shipwreck Coast" or "the Graveyard of the Great Lakes" The wrecks have been preserved as an underwater historical site, including the 2007 discovery of the Cyprus which sank over 100 years ago, in 1907. More than 4700 ships have sunk in the Great Lakes, so there are several you can see. Oh, and if Chance goes in very deeply, be careful of rip currents, which we call "undertow". Not so likely that she'll go deeply enough into the cold water to find one, LOL, but be careful. Oh, and if you go to Tahquemenon, be sure to take a pocket full of crackers or popcorn, the chipmunks are so accustomed to being fed that they'll mug you on the sidewalks and take treats from your fingers. Don't let Chance put down an empty hand, they'll nibble a finger with no treat.... Annie