Musings

On this sunny day, we made a run to MQT. Droney made a run, too, shooting the city and this monument to downtown industrialization. Now, the remaining action is north of the city-core.

I was on the ground and had a different view of the structure. [Many people we saw around town had makeup and costumes of some sort; Happy Halloween!]

The Seney stretch is legendary for being straight and flat—for more than 25 miles! The tamaracks (Larix laricina) were golden; they are in the pine family and deciduous.

There was also gold on the ground (a few places). I remember being pretty small and Dad stopping the car on the Seney stretch somewhere to show us Michigan lilies (Lilium michiganense)—which grows in a much greater area than the state of Michigan.

Today’s sun-preparing-to-set shot of “our” lake.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Dressed up

I loved the orange at dawn. So clear.

An hour-and-a-half later, it was like a different day, perhaps a different world. A fog (cloud?) set in, and the dawn tints gone, and the color palette diminished.

By mid-afternoon, it was seriously overcast, a solid layer of blue-grey above.

At the beach, well, no beach, and a south wind sending the waves kicking up the leaves that had been floating aimlessly yesterday like poetic dabs on the lake. No more.

And by full dark, it was spitting rain. Sigh.

There’s a saying in these parts along the lines of “if you don’t like the weather, wait five miniutes,” or an hour. This was a day that fit that to a “T.”

Posted at 9:02 PM | Comments Off on Wait five minutes

Even before sunrise, you could tell the grey and rain were gone gone gone, and it was clear and beautiful out.

There was a bit of a breeze before we entered these woods to find standing water—did I mention the last two weeks (or more?) have been rainy….

As we backtracked and left the woods, we scared up this quartet of white flags. They did not stay to get acquainted.

Okay, mandatory lake shot. We did so enjoy the sunshine. The solar gain worked on the “front” porch, and it even got warmer than the house! We did little work today, mostly basked in the sun/sun-warmth and Someone took a nice nap.

Posted at 6:55 PM | Comments Off on So pleasant

Title refers not so much to geography as photo subject matter.

We sprang for a mechanical carwash over at the BP to reduce the grime accumulated yesterday on the Explorer. It was reduced, but not vanquished. Now, for better or worse, we don’t look like we’ve been out in our hunting camp.

I looked in the bird book, and still I don’t know what kind of waterfowl these are. My guess, from a place of extreme ignorance, is goldeneye or lesser scaup. I’m probably looking in totally the wrong section of the ID book, however.

I assume arachnid (eight legs). You can assume I was totally surprised when I looked at the photo as when I was taking it I was trying to get a good focus on the lichen, and totally missed noticing the critter.

I looked up the lichen, too, and I’m in over my head there, yet again. Maybe an eastern candlewax or a greenshield?

Posted at 8:05 PM | Comments Off on All over the map

Way at the end of this breakwater(?) is a navigation light. [Squint. And use your imagination?]

From what I have read these white pines were logged in the 1830s and 1840s—a darned long time ago. After the trees were cut and the logs removed, the remaining slash dried and burned, often with very hot fires leaving the already nutrient-poor sandy soils even more nutrient poor. Even today: rotting stumps and no forest.

Posted at 5:54 PM | Comments Off on Squint

Rock. Lake. View.

Under grey skies.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on Nous sommes arrivés

I have managed to forget about the leaf clusters that accumulate in corners of fences and buildings and the like; I was reminded today when I found this assemblage of light, dry leaves—still retaining some fine reddish maple color.

Posted at 9:16 PM | Comments Off on Wind art

I was driving and we both agreed that we felt hunger looming. The navigator did some investigating and suggested “a BBQ place with a view.” Here’s the view. The BBQ was tasty but not especially pretty, so you just get the view…

…and this snap of some”one” else enjoying the view (perhaps). From the restaurant side of the window.

Posted at 10:53 PM | Comments Off on Hello stink-bug

My hypothesis is that this is a new-pole crew, as there were not only the two bucket-trucks with guys working on the wires, but also another big truck with a giant auger (put away at this point, and parked down the block). I also saw a big pickup that was part of the crew—the boss?

This scenario is easier to figure out: verge ghosties.

And for those wanting a flower-fix: a bi-color camellia. With an ant and another insect (mostly obscured).

Posted at 6:48 PM | Comments Off on Common color theme by accident

Love this tile mural of the birds wheeling at sunrise/set (I’m betting rise).

We voted early today. The wait was maybe 40 minutes. Good turnout, I say. Slow-moving line—many referenda (five state-wides, two city, two county—I think) with long reads if voters hadn’t done their homework before arriving.

Since we vote in the community room in the back of the library, of course we made a stop in the book-book area. I hadn’t noticed the low kid-return slot before, and I certainly don’t remember seeing the one-eyed-pirate decoration.

Posted at 7:21 PM | Comments Off on Critters artwork