Ritter trails are dirt, grass, or, right after a downpour, mud;

I have run or walked in Ritter Farm Park scores of times in the past 20 years. I enjoy the outdoor air, the woods, the trees, the animals that live there, and am so grateful to the Ritter family that made the property available for all of us to enjoy, and to the City for gently maintaining it in its natural state, absent excessive improvements.

Lakeville mows the trail shoulders as needed otherwise the

trail shoulders get overgrown to heights of 4 feet or so.

This is rich heavy soil.

The trees are tall and old; trails are steep in a few places,

but gently rolling in most areas.

Trail amenities are VERY simple, which is fine with me. A single port-a-potty, no running water, about 6 widely scattered benches, plenty of picnic tables, no playground equipment, but plenty of wildlife. I often see deer, infrequently snakes, occasional turtles, various small animals like rabbits chipmunks squirrels, skunks, rarely, a coyote, lots of birds, from bald eagles to little songbirds to wild turkeys.

I really like the trees most of all. They are primarily hardwoods, which for me have more interesting and individual characteristics than evergreens, plus evergreens are so modest, behind their dense evergreen outfits, that you don't get to see their bark and branches, which so differentiate one hardwood from another.

This tree was snapped off about 12 feet above ground after a few days of gusty winds last week. Now it will begin its new role of hosting various insects and birds in pursuit of those bugs.

A strong "V" Maybe box elder, not sure.

Just you and the woods. Rest for a bit?

I like it that the City doesn't rush to clear trails from recently fallen limbs, because negotiating your way around a trail-blocking branch is one of the things that makes each trip down the path different.

This week's trail obstruction looks big enough to trip Paul Bunyan. Not hard for US to get around, though.

Just a dead log. Not Really. It's a new nutrition resource for moss, a new home for bugs, who in turn are food for the songbirds, the feeding of which is recreation for grandfathers. Lion king circle of life, kind of.

Change your mind about stopping yet?

A fallen limb might seem like an accident
but it's really a useful occurrence in the woods.

This big old tree has lost most of it's bark for reasons I don't recognize, but it keeps on stubbornly hanging on. Impressive and strong even though lumpy and disfigured.

An experienced forester could probably tell you what kinds of things probably impacted this big old fella that would leave it looking like this, although I think some of it must have been someone swinging an axe down the front.