Musings

Checked out the mouth of the Manistique today. This is looking upstream at the US2 bridge. The dead vegetation in the water stands on what were the banks of the river several decades ago and dramatically indicate that the water is still quite high. And this was before it rained today haha.

At the other end of the dock we saw three…well, yachts. One had this fancy treatment of all the mooring lines. I have heard mariners have plenty of free time; perhaps this is an example.

Posted at 6:11 PM | Comments Off on Highwater biz

Long-time readers (from last summer) may remember my nemesis, the cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum). This specimen is on the roadside, and may well be the parent of the invaders on our property. When (not if) it gets cooler, I will dig up the ones I find on our place, and, and this is my vow, these too. To (try to) stop the spread.

While somewhat interesting in appearance, this species aggressively multiplies and, worse, is phototoxic to humans, as it has chemicals that are activated by the ultraviolet rays in sunlight, and make skin blister far worse than poison ivy. It must go.

Happy Fourth (as in freedom from British oppressors…but it’s complicated).

Posted at 9:39 PM | Comments Off on Nemesis update

We hit the road today and got out of the big city. Somewhere along Frost Bottom Road (if I recall correctly), we found a goat. Welcome to the country, where most veggie gardens featured maize, tomatoes, pole beans, and okra. None of that froufrou broccoli or endive.

At a rest area—guess which state—we found gold Equidae statues, including this alert, cute colt.

Finally, the sky cleared and we found the clouds stunning. The sunset sky included orange, pinks, lilac, and purple, yet was not at all garish.

Posted at 10:21 PM | Comments Off on Escape

I thought I might write about This Thing. But it seemed Way Too serious, so I considered This Other Thing.

Same problem.

So, here’s some color instead. It seems very upbeat and positive.

Posted at 8:10 PM | Comments Off on Cheerful color

Don’t these mushrooms look a bit like pale beige turtles? 🐢

Here’s why I was thinking about turtle shapes. It’s from Peter Hessler’s “Learning to ski in a country of beginners,” in the 21 June issue of The New Yorker. The Country referred to is China. Present-day China.

Many beginners wore accessories known as huju: protective gear. Huju consists of three large stuffed animals that can be strapped onto the knees and the backside, in order to cushion a fall. The most common huju comes in the form of green turtles, but there are also brown bears, pink pigs, and yellow SpongeBob SquarePants. There doesn’t seem to be any social stigma attached to wearing these things, which are common at ski resorts across China. At Wanlong, it wasn’t unusual to see a hip-looking snowboarder in his twenties, dressed in fashionable ski clothes, with a huge turtle on his butt.

What kind of huju is your favorite…for skiing or whatever else? Is it plush? 🐢

Posted at 9:13 PM | Comments Off on Mushroom pair

Art? Material culture? Sly reflection on plastic in our modern world? Celebration of pinkness?

This one’s easier; it’s gems decorating hardscaping…the intent is pretty-fication. Aesthetics.

Posted at 9:54 PM | 1 Comment »

Most saturated hydrangea. Ever.

Whatta neighborhood! We have a Beer Car. 😎

Alterations along the BeltLine. Looks like an elongated pond. We’ll see if it stays that way.

Posted at 6:30 PM | Comments Off on Neighborhood notes

I think I could easily outline three different stories that include this scenario. Details: chair is not lashed to the vehicle, and the yard has no similar chairs.

Posted at 8:10 PM | Comments Off on Roof chair

I know it’s obvious that a walk in an urban neighborhood is a different experience than a walk in a rural place.

I’m pretty sure this is evidence of a movie/TV shoot being broken down. Takes many, many cables for the many lights and cameras. I saw at six guys doing the breakdown, making these careful coils of cables. Also, about seven houses facing this park had bunting and lawn decorations, plus “homemade” signs about never forgetting 9/11. I’ve never seen such decorations in real life.

And a pretty. With a typical surprise insect.

Posted at 6:16 PM | Comments Off on A movie world

It’s always tough to leave the Upper Peninsula. Sightings of two rainbows over green, green farmland tempers the sadness, however.

Mass upgrades underway here at our overnight stop. I heard meowing as I approached the sinks. Pretty sure it wasn’t the vanities complaining about being displaced.

Posted at 9:35 PM | Comments Off on Sightings