My latest trail discovery is the Stone Valley Trail! These pictures are from my second hike there. I came across a painted turtle perched on a steep part of the side of the trail. I'm not sure where its destination was, but it wasn't on the trail anymore when I walked past on my way out.

I also spent some time sitting on a log watching the waterfall and "the tubs." According to a trail sign, the tubs are potholes that have formed as a result of a swirling current with pebbles and sand mixed in that abrade the rock. 

While walking along the Saddlemire Trail, I spotted a strange shape rustling in the bushes near the end of the path. As I neared, I noticed that it was covered in quills. I had never seen a porcupine in the wild before, so it was a very surprising sight. I observed from a distance, not wanting to spook the animal. The porcupine did not move, caught up in its own little world. Eventually, I needed to continue on the trail, so I cautiously walked forward. Only then did the porcupine finally notice me, shuffling back into the brush it had come from.

These are a couple of photos from our event with the St. Lawrence Land Trust earlier this month. We collected water samples from Hart's Falls and were looking for different fish species. We ended up catching quite a few shiners by trawling the shoreline, but no big fish. We also managed to catch plenty of frogs and macroinvertebrates from the shallows above the falls.