Musings

Seems to me that up here, during the grass-growing season, we are in one of three states: going to mow, just mowed, almost time to mow again. Today, the Guru had the big mower out, and all of a sudden there was a noise and it stopped dead. Not to be restarted. Loaded it into the pickup and took it to the fix-it neighbors (a real business). Then, the Guru got out this old machine (not to be confused with the ca. 1950 electric, but that’s another story). Don’t know when it was purchased, but the logo typography indicates almost two generations ago. It started right up. After not being used for at least a decade. Yay! Currently, however, it won’t restart, leaving a small patch unmowed. But only a small patch. In a low-priority place. And that’s today’s grass-growing season story.

Rather exciting: found a nascent lupine bloom. Wouldn’t you know I’d take only one snap, and that’d be out of focus. Apologies!

Posted at 6:40 PM | Comments Off on Growing season

Yes, here in the great northland, the grape hyacinths are still blooming.

And the lilacs are coming. Push, I say! I took a cautious sniff, and, oh happy day, I could smell lilac-ness…faint, but still!

Posted at 9:24 PM | Comments Off on Flower report

Last night’s pinkish-red sky did indeed herald a gorgeous day…not sure about sailors (or shepherds for some), but we sheep-less landlubbers enjoyed it.

I’m still grooving on the trilliums, whether one or two…

…or by the dozens on the forest floor. BTW, the leaves have gone from tiny to almost mid-sized in the six days since we arrived. I sat on the sun-porch with the windows open this afternoon. I think we can say it: summer is here!

Posted at 6:10 PM | Comments Off on Magnificent and marvelous

This is the largest morel I have found this year. Mighty fine eating!

A clump of ramps that survived picking; I took this deep in the woods. I read that folks can pick ramps in the National Forests for personal use, but only leaves and pluck them here and there so as not to kill the bulbs/roots.

And the lake was quiet today. Yay! No erosion. On the other hand, the biting insects were aggressive. Corollary, no?

Posted at 7:21 PM | Comments Off on More foraging

I got out for half a walk this morning, with only a few raindrops daintily pattering on my head.

Most of the remainder of the day, it was drippy to rainy-drippy, and it never got warm—pure indoor weather.

We did a end-of-the-road potluck at the neighbors’; the buffet groaned with many bowls of yumminess. Ingredients picked fresh from the land here included chives, ramps, and morels. Star ingredient for potato salad overwintered from last year’s garden next door…. We are darned fortunate.

Posted at 10:31 PM | Comments Off on Living the good life, with rain

We ate lunch with the breeze getting too friendly, and the gulls thinking about it, but fortunately keeping sufficient distance that we did not have to actively fend them off.

Then we shifted locales and sat beach-side and watched for freighters, also noting a pair of mergansers that came by three times that I counted. This freighter is upbound, meaning headed into Lake Superior. BTW, that land past it is a foreign country populated by many very nice people.

We stayed by the beach until the wind kicked up and the sun’s strength diminished. Later, as the rays approached horizontal, they eventually lit the forest floor. Sweet!

Did I say we told stories and laughed and had a grand time? We sure did.

Posted at 10:37 PM | Comments Off on Sedentary moments

Overnight rain led to a wet, overcast, drippy morning. With a delicate spiderweb undulating in the intermittent breeze.

We decided to head over to the refuge, and while en route the sun emerged, so that by the time we were on the wildlife drive, it was full out and even almost warm. Guessing these are Caspian terns.

Such shiny carapaces these turtles have!

And, of course trumpeter swans. Not nesting yet that we noticed. Only a few Canada geese; far more swans.

Posted at 10:00 PM | Comments Off on More wild

Why did the porcupine cross the road? ☀️

Pair of sandhills. Note he and she are looking opposite directions; it must be a gender thing.

Around here the morels are one of two colors: blond or brunette. Sautéed in butter, both are exceptional.

Our wildlife sighting today included a pair of deer—no photo.

☀️ My guess: to escape flooding…geeze, the water is high!

Posted at 9:57 PM | Comments Off on Wild Day

Wind-i-fication…. Yesterday’s tailwind turned to be off the left quarter panel…not so helpful. Also, it strengthened, and not fun for the folks driving big camping trailers, and the folks, like us, trying to pass them not knowing when they were going to swerve in a gust. But, we have arrived safely.

Bridge-i-fication…. Plenty of traffic, and only two northbound cash/credit toll lanes, but not too much of a backup surprisingly. We did end up behind a loaded semi through the top of the bridge-arch, this stretch, and so just puttered along—loaded semis are required to go 20mph, and so the traffic backs up. But, we have arrived safely.

Insect-i-fication…. Going along Lake Michigan, we could see clouds of insects in the air…and geeze, proof! Look at that windshield. And, we have arrived safely!

Posted at 8:10 PM | Comments Off on [Whatever]-i-fication

A tailwind blew us up the road. We made a “necessary”stop at one of our usual chain-spots. I’ve never before seen a sign indicating patrons should woof down their food.

Just before dusk, we had a few sprinkles…and their corollary.

I liked the sky, so you get to see it, too!

Posted at 9:22 PM | Comments Off on Surroundings