This morning, we headed out to Mentor. We planned to pick up the Buckeye Trail at Headlands Beach, but when we found the trailhead, we discovered that dogs are not allowed on that section of the BT. So, we walked the paved trail that runs behind the dunes at Headlands Beach State Park. (Dogs are not allowed on the beach itself nor are they allowed on the marsh trails.)
Yucca and a wide variety of grasses and wildflowers grow on the dunes, obscuring the view of the lake. But every so often, we would come to a break in the dunes and could look out at the pastel landscape of the beach. The water and sky were just the same pale blue color and it was impossible too see where one ended and the other began except for the boats, which seemed to float suspended above the sandy shore.
At one of the pass throughs, a mimosa tree arched over the trail. The fuzzy pink flowers stand out against the feathery green leaves. It looks exotic and it is! It is native to warmer climates in Asia, but apparently there are now varieties that can grow here and weather our winters. Some experts say that it is invasive and potentially dangerous to native trees due to the diseases it can carry, but others seem to think it’s just fine.
As we were ending our walk, I looked out and saw a colony of gulls gathered on the beach. There are hundreds of them! I wanted to get a picture of them, so I put Chuck in the car and ran out to see them. Chuck was not happy with this arrangement. She was crying and trying to climb out the window. After we discussed that I was only going to be gone for a few minutes, she agreed to chill out and I was able to get a couple great shots!