A willow seemingly getting ready to dive into the Hudson River.A charging Tuna! Watch out world!Pondering collecting a little willow bark. The bark of many willow (Salix sp.) species contains salicylic acid. It’s basically natural aspirin without the blood thinning and stomach irritating properties. Ideally, one collects the bark in the spring from 2 to 5 year old trees or young branches. Then you boil the heck out of the bark and drink it like a tea. Here is more info on how to collect and use willow bark without doing damage to the tree.Who knows their animal tracks? These were tiny but interesting. Perhaps the worlds smallest wolverine? Just look at those nails.Who are you little creature? And what brought you to the Hudson’s shore, sneaking around under the sideways willow? Perhaps a gentlemen caller?Splish splash a green frog taking a bath.It’s time to impress your friends. Many will mistake a green frog for a bullfrog and vise versa. I think people get thrown by their similar coloration and large eardrums. There is an easy way to tell the difference: look for the dorsolateral ridges. Green frogs have ridges (they look like two skin folds) running all the way down their backs. Bullfrogs only have ridges running from their eyes to around their eardrum.
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