Tuesday, 11 July 2006
Our incomparable neighbors are so very good to us. The Hunter-Gatherer kindly grows an extra row of lettuce (or nearly so!) to share with us. Here are just three heads!
Today we also cheered the appearance of the Easterners, who arrived via the Tobermory ferry, a fine, fine route! K, the pasture photo is stunning!
Monday, 10 July 2006
Apologies for the short entries lately, but our connectivity has been haphazard and just for brief periods ’cause we’ve been on the move so much. JCB did find a good connection yesterday from over in Sault Ste. Canada, which made him quite happy. Today is a grocery day, so we’re using Newberry linkups.
Yesterday was a lovely day, spent here and there with Anne (including avoiding fast-swimming full-grown leeches in our lake), then with Anne and Fran (aka The Commander)—lots of laughing, reminiscing, and fine story-telling.
Today has been a whirlwind of cleaning, especially spider-web removal from the exterior of the cottage by jcb. I got to breathe Lime-Away fumes, the payoff being sparkling clean taps and sinks.
Tomorrow is another big day, as we await the arrival of The Kelley and The Fred-man from points east—way over by the NY/Mass line, a two-day drive. When they get here, we’ll open the wine and stroll the beach to get sand between our toes!, and then ???
Regarding the lupine, most are in seed across the orchard, but a few late specimens are still coming into bloom. I understand they’re wild in these parts, but I always think of them as among the escaped species that populate this farm (including hollyhocks, sweet peas, and something that looks like bachelor buttons).
Sunday, 9 July 2006
By the shores of Gitchee Gumee, The Anne and The Sam watched a storm pass by, blocking their view of our fair neighbor Canada. Then, after the rain had passed and the wind had abated, they grabbed towels and the shampoo, and had a lovely wave-tossed lake-bath!
Saturday, 8 July 2006
As far as I know, there is only one Germfask, and there’s not much to it anymore (jcb is lobbying for a meal at the restaurant on the corner and none of us who have spent more time in this area are particularly interested). This building must date to the last of Germfask’s boom days (more or less), although now the place is abandoned. Isn’t the typography wonderful?
Today’s big excitement: Anne, GG, and Mouse arriving for lunch and the afternoon!
Friday, 7 July 2006
To celebrate the week’s end, we set off on a trek around the area (broadly speaking!). One of the most scenic spots we stopped at was Munising Falls, tucked back up in a little canyonette the water has carved back in the bluff overlooking Munising Bay. Even in the bright afternoon sun, this little spot was pretty shady. I tried to look around for unusual plant species, but didn’t have much opportunity and didn’t spot any. We did see several robust specimens of parsnips, which I always have to make certain are not poison hemlock. The two are related botanically, as both are members of the carrot family, or were when the guide I’m looking at was published.
The falls got major competition from our lunch spot at the local park in Grand Marais, however, where we had a terrific view of Lake Superior. Mom’s comment: the lake looks superior today!
Toward the end of our route, we stopped at an unofficial overlook of the Manistique River, and I finally could check for wild blueberries. A few plants have a good crop, but most are barren this year, and the berries are small, but, surprisingly, not seedy. I think it would take quite a while to find enough for a pie, though, so I stuck with stuffing my face with a few meager handfuls.
Thursday, 6 July 2006
Traces of early spring include the feathery tops of the asparagus (like this), and now we are awaiting the berries—rasp- and blue-. I caught this version of the asparagus at dawn, before the sun had reached the field over the woods, which distorted the sky color almost this dramatically (thank you, wee new camera).
JCB and the Botanist pared back several trees, and discovered the balsam out front is dying. Evidence: substantial holes through the bark made by those strong-headed birds, the woodpeckers.
Wednesday, 5 July 2006
I heard a biologist once say that freshwater creeks and lakes were in good shape (ecologically) if they had good snail populations. I’m assuming the same is true of bivalves. The populations of both were drastically reduced when the cormorants had taken over the lake a few years ago. Now they’re gone (thankfully) and the lake’s small critters seem almost back to normal.
So, The D took young B out fishing, with hopes of actually catching something!
Tuesday, 4 July 2006
This is certainly one of those colonial holidays, with even a worse flavor ’cause the oppressed native peoples did not benefit from the overthrow of the imperialists—that’s most of you, my readers. As Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana put in the front of Zeke and Ned (attributed to anonymous, quoted by H.L. Mencken),
When the Pilgrim fathers reached the shores of America, they fell on their knees. Then they fell on the Indians.
Saw this eagle today over at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, and yes, duh!, he’s stuffed. Fitting image for today, though!
Also seen at the Refuge: trumpeter swans (many), loons (a few), one great blue heron, no Canada geese (never happened before—the ranger said the swans had run them off), a lily the Botanist is still trying to identify, and much more. New book: The 500 Most Important Bird Areas in the United States by the American Bird Conservancy. It’s North American ecology from a different angle than I’m familiar with….
Monday, 3 July 2006
Most of the time we don’t see the sunsets because our snug little cottage is protected by a hill and lots of shrubs from the great northwest winds that zoom down from the Arctic. JCB and I caught this view out walking—the usually hidden western sky.
Sunday, 2 July 2006
Once upon a time there was an extremely creative little girl. One of her favorite activities was to create characters—in stories, in drawings, and even in clay.
Now, she’s graduated from Newberry High, and, after a summer stint of nannying, she’ll be off to college to be a creative adult.
Today was her celebration party. We’re all so proud of our lovely L.