Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20, camp for free at Silver Sioux Recreation Area near Quimby! The Conservation Board invites you to claim one of 33 modern and 8 primitive campsites for two free nights of campfires and fresh air. The weekend will include a trails hike on Saturday at 10:30 AM, free hot dogs, beans and chips on Saturday at 5 PM, and an exciting musical performance by "Software" beginning at 6 PM at the Silver Sioux Barn. Featuring local talent and offering an array of songs that span five decades, this show will make you get up and dance! Personally, I can hardly wait to hear the Johnny Cash and June Carter set that will feature Courtney Glienke and Gaylen Miller, two exceptional Aurelia High School students, on guitar and vocals.

 

On Sunday afternoon, the Friends of Conservation organization will hold their annual Field Day, providing craft demonstrations, live music, haywagon tours of the Stiles Preserve, historical presentations and a hearty, hot meal of Prairie Stew.

 

Where else can you find so much family fun? Nowhere!!!

Morel mushrooms. The acronym for these little delicacies is MM. That's pronounced mmmmmmmm... As in yummy.

 

For those intrepid adventurers out there who read my blog from afar and enjoy a good road trip, I must tell you that the Cherokee County MMs are up!

 

It has been raining here intermittently, although persistently, since Friday. Now it is Tuesday. The earthworms have had enough, and so have I. My boots are soaked through to my socks. But the MMs are poking up and softening my cloud-hardened heart.

 

At least sitting at a desk is not so bad on a rainy day. When the sun comes back out, remember the wildflowers in the woods! They won't last long! In fact some of our woodland flowers are nearly done blooming, like dutchmen's breetches and bloodroot. Now their ornate leaves will make the most of the sun that does shine, until the oaks shade them entirely and they fade into midsummer dormancy. You'll have to wait until next spring to see them again, so don't miss it! Most of the Cherokee County Parks along the Little Sioux River Valley shelter pockets or expansive slopes full of these spring ephemeral wildflowers.

 

Just don't step on the mushrooms!

 

 

All of our temporary summer positions have been filled. Please click the "Jobs" link in the menu bar above for a description of our new Maintenance Technician job description. We are anticipating a big response, so please get your resume or application to us by the deadline, May 19, to be considered!